Social Influence

Social influence

The process by which individuals, groups, or institutions affect the thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes of others.

Conformity

Changing one's behavior or beliefs to match a group's behavior and beliefs.

Compliance

Agreeing to a request, suggestion, or demand from another person or group.

Obedience

Following explicit commands or orders from an authority figure.

Group Size

The number of people in a given social group or context, which influences social influence potential.

Group Unanimity

The degree of agreement or consensus within a group, which can strongly influence individuals.

Social Norms

Unwritten or implicit rules and expectations within a society or social group that dictate appropriate behavior, values, and beliefs.

Informational Influence

Conforming to a group's behavior or beliefs because of the belief that the group possesses valuable information or knowledge.

Normative Influence

Conforming or complying with group behavior or expectations to gain social approval, acceptance, or avoid rejection or social sanctions.

Asch's Line Length Study

Solomon Asch's experiment on conformity, where participants conformed to incorrect answers given by confederates.

Milgram's Obedience Experiments

Stanley Milgram's experiments on obedience to authority, where participants administered what they believed were severe electric shocks.

Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment

Philip Zimbardo's study on the effects of perceived power and authority in a simulated prison environment.

Reciprocity

The tendency for people to return favors or kind gestures.

Commitment and Consistency

The principle that people tend to be consistent with their past actions and commitments.

Social Proof

The concept that people look to the behavior and actions of others to determine what is correct or appropriate.

Authority

The belief that people are more likely to follow the advice or direction of someone they perceive as an expert or authority figure.

Scarcity

Creating a sense of urgency or scarcity around a product or opportunity to persuade people to act quickly.

Marketing and Advertising

The application of social influence in persuading consumers to buy products or services.

Political Persuasion

The use of social influence techniques in politics to gain support and votes.

Social Change and Activism

The role of social influence in movements for social change and advocacy.