Social Influence

Social Influence

Intentional and/or unintentional efforts to change another persons beliefs, attitudes, or behaviour

Who is Herbert Kelman?

He proposed the Social Influence Theory, and introduced the three main types; compliance, identification, and internalization.

Strengths of Kelman’s Theory

• levels of influence can be tested experimentally or through observation

• the theory has been applied clinically, with measurable influence on patient behaviour

Limitations of Kelman’s Theory

• only the behaviour can be observed and analyzed (difficult to observe without influencing)

• it doesn’t apply to all social interactions or changes in attitudes

Levels of Influence

• it depends on the level at people accept that they are influenced

• compliance, identification, and internalization

Influencing Agent

Something/someone that can influence others’ change in attitudes, beliefs, and values

Compliance

Behaviour is changed with the aim of receiving rewards, or avoiding punishment, without changing beliefs

Influencing agents of compliance

• power to reward or punish

• influence is accepted conditionally

Example of compliance

When people identify a speed camera, they slow down, in hopes of avoiding getting a speed ticket

Identification

• change in attitude and behaviour with the aim of establishing or sustaining a desired relationship

• conditional on continued belief

Influencing agents of identification

Those with whom being in a relationship has benefits, or someone they like (eg. a role model)

Example of identification

A young child may idealize and imitate the actions and behavior of someone they identify with and look up to

Internalization

Influence is readily accepted due to attitudes, values, and beliefs are aligned.

Influencing agents of internalization

Have credibility, trustworthiness, and recognized expertise

Example of internalization

A patient/doctor relationship

Obedience

• changing behaviour in response to a direct order by an authority figure

• occurs within a hierarchy

• motivated by avoidance of punishment, or because they have strong beliefs in the authority figure

Milgram’s Study of Obedience

• 40 participants

• participants were ordered by an authority figure to deliver what they believed to be dangerous electrical shocks to another person

• obedience was measured by the level of shock participants were willing to deliver

Results of the Milgram Experiment

• 26 out of 40 (65%) of the participants delivered the maximum shocks

• 14 stopped before reaching the highest level

Milgram’s factors that influenced obedience

• the physical presence of an authority figure dramatically increased compliance

• teacher/student selection seemed random

• participants assumed the experimenter was a competent expert

• the shocks were said to be painful, not dangerous

Ethical concerns in the Milgram Experiment

• the use of deception

• the lack of protection for the participants who were involved

• pressure from the experimenter to continue even after asking to stop, interferes with their rights to withdraw

Conformity

• changing behaviour to align with those of a group due to real or implied pressure

• occurs between people who are of the same social status

Factors affecting conformity

• normative and information influence

• culture

• group size

• unanimity

• deindividuation

• social loafing

Normative Influence

When people conform because they want to be accepted by the group and not stand out

Information Influence

• when people conform because they would like to be correct

• seek knowledge by the group when deciding how best to behave

Culture - Individualistic

• value people standing out as an individual

• own needs over group

• less likely to conform

Examples of individualistic cultures

• USA

• Australia

• New Zealand

• Germany

• Ireland

Culture - Collectivist

• value group needs over own interest

• more likely to conform

Examples of collectivist cultures

• China

• South Korea

• Japan

• Indonesia

• India

Group Size

Rates of conformity increase as group size increases

Unanimity

• when people all agree on the same thing

• when members of a group behave a certain way or share the same attitude, one will more likely conform

• when a group lacks unanimity, conformity decreases

Deindividuation

• process where people have reduced self awareness and feel less inhibited in group situations

• feel less responsibility- shared among group

• ‘‘everyone is doing it, so I can too’’

• reduced by making people feel identifiable

Social Loafing

• tendency for an individual to reduce effort in group work

• increases when group size increases

• sucker effect

• free rider effect

Social Loafing - Sucker Effect

• individual reduces effort in group work if other members aren’t putting in effort

• group norm is to put minimal effort

Social Loafing - Free Rider Effect

• individual reduces effort in group work because they think members can successfully complete the task without their input

• reduced by having members made of friends, rather than strangers

Antisocial Behaviour

Behaviour that harms society and its members by violating the rights of others

Factors affecting antisocial behaviour

• diffusion of responsibility

• audience inhibition

• social influence

• cost benefit analysis

• group think

The Bystander Effect

Bystander becomes aware of a potential emergency, but does not act or intervene

Bullying

Purposeful use of a difference in power to repeatedly cause physical, psychological or social harm

Prosocial Behaviour

Voluntary actions that promote social acceptance, benefitting society and its members

Factors affecting prosocial behaviour

• reciprocity principle

• social responsibility

• personal characteristics; empathy, mood, competence

• altruism

Reciprocity Principle

One feels obligated to return the favour to someone that did something for them

Social Responsibility

Individuals are accountable for acting in a way that benefits the society

Personal Characteristics - Empathy

Ability to sense and share thoughts and feelings of another person

Personal Characteristics - Mood

When in a positive mood, they carry out prosocial behaviours to maintain it

Personal Characteristics - Competence

An individual who believes they have the ability to help others is more likely to do so

Altruism

Helps others without expecting a reward

Helping

Voluntary actions that benefit others

Factors that influence reasons behind helpig others

• evolutionary aspects - helps strengthen gene pool

• empathetic or altruistic reasons

• increases positive mood

• expectation of reward

• taught through childhood

• social media trend