Dear All, For those of you who question why the obvious superiority of the metric system is not immediately accepted by the entire population, these thoughts might be interesting. You can see these in context at: http://www.csom.umn.edu/assets/118371.pdf
Conformity and Motivation Conformity is behavioral change designed to match or imitate the beliefs, expectations, or behaviors of real or imagined others (Cialdini & Trost, 1998). Decades of research have shown that conformity is highly prevalent (see Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004) and that the tendency to imitate is sometimes so swift and mindless that it is almost automatic (Bremner, 2002; Chartrand & Bargh, 1999; Gopnik, Meltzhoff, & Kuhl, 1999). … A second underlying reason why people tend to conform is that going along with or mimicking another person tends to produce liking (Chartrand & Bargh, 1999; Hatfield, Cacioppo, & Rapson, 1993). This kind of approval-based conformity is known as normative influence … [and it] is especially potent because people who deviate from the group are more likely to be punished, ridiculed, and even rejected by other group members (Janes & Olson, 2000; Kruglanski & Webster, 1991; Levine, 1989; Miller & Anderson, 1979; Schachter, 1951). For example, in the classic Asch (1956) line studies, participants tended to conform with the group not necessarily because they believed the consensus of the group reflected the correct response but often because it was easier to go with the crowd than to face the consequences of going against it (Crutchfield, 1955). … It seems to me that a lot of anti-metric behaviour is of the type described here. People choose old inefficient measuring words simply because they look around and that is what the people around them are doing. From a metrication leaders point of view, the counter to this behaviour that is "so swift and mindless that it is almost automatic" is to provide models of people who successfully use the metric system on a daily basis. Use yourself as a public model; advertise your expertise and your ability to answer questions; be available as a model of metric use and as a mentor to others; show your commitment to the progress of the metric system. Make it clear that you exist as a successful metric system model. Find metrication success stories for your company or organisation newsletters. Publish successful metric "Rules of Thumb". Tell people stories about those who have discovered insights through their metric system discoveries in their daily activities. In short, provide and publicise metric system role models whenever and wherever you can. Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, see http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, Geelong, Australia Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected] or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe.
