Social Impact Theory

What is the central idea of Social Impact Theory?

It explains how individuals are influenced by social forces, depending on the Strength, Immediacy, and Number of the sources of influence.

Define the three key factors that determine the level of social impact.

1. Strength: The perceived power/authority of the source. 2. Immediacy: The physical/psychological closeness in space and time. 3. Number: The number of sources present.

What is the Multiplicative Effect in Social Impact Theory?

Social impact is increased when the Strength, Immediacy, and/or Number of the sources increase, amplifying the overall pressure.

What is the Divisional Effect in Social Impact Theory?

Social impact on a target is reduced when there are more targets than sources, with the impact divided among the many targets.

How did the New York Zoo field experiment support the Strength factor of Social Impact Theory?

A confederate dressed as a zoo keeper (high strength) achieved 58% obedience, while one in a t-shirt (low strength) achieved only 35%.

How did the New York Zoo experiment support the Immediacy factor?

Obedience was 61% when the request was made in the same room, but dropped to 7% when the request came from an adjacent room.

How did the New York Zoo experiment support the Number factor?

Obedience was 60% with 1-2 visitors (few targets), but dropped to 14% with 5-6 visitors (more targets), demonstrating the divisional effect.

What is a key weakness of the supporting field experiments?

Variables like the exact number of people and their different personalities couldn't be fully controlled, meaning extraneous variables could have influenced the results.

How does Hofling's (1966) nurse study challenge the importance of Immediacy?

95% of nurses obeyed an absent doctor (low immediacy) over the phone, showing that high Strength (authority of a doctor) can override low Immediacy.

How can Social Impact Theory be applied by a leader to increase persuasion?

A leader should use Strength (a powerful communication style), Immediacy (face-to-face interaction), and Number (address smaller groups) to maximize social impact.