Ch 8: Social Influence and Persuasion

Learning Objectives

• 8.1 Distinguish between normative and informational social influence.
• 8.2 Discuss the four basic principles of social influence and the ways in which they are used.
• 8.3 Characterize persuasion and the factors that influence its success.
• 8.4 Evaluate methods to resist social influence.

Introduction to Social Influence

• Fake News:
  • Defined as deliberate misinformation spread through traditional channels.
  • Identified by the World Economic Forum as a major issue due to its rapid online spread, often facilitated by "bots."
  • Third-Person Effect:
  • Suggests that individuals believe fake news affects others more than themselves.

Types of Social Influence

Normative Influence

• Defined as the desire to be liked and accepted by others.
• Example: Asch's conformity experiments showed group acceptance can be prioritized over accuracy.

Informational Influence

• Defined as the desire to be correct.
• Example: Sherif's studies demonstrated conforming to group behavior when individuals believe the group possesses more information.

Effects of Social Influence

• Informational Social Influence: Leads to private acceptance, where a person genuinely believes that the group is correct.
• Normative Social Influence: Results in public compliance, where outward agreement occurs despite personal disagreement.

Principles of Social Influence

1. Commitment and Consistency:
   • Techniques such as the foot-in-the-door and low-ball techniques.
2. Reciprocation:
   • Techniques like door-in-the-face and that’s-not-all techniques.
3. Scarcity:
   • Techniques including limited-number and fast-approaching-deadline techniques.
4. Capturing and Disrupting Attention:
   • Pique and disrupt-then-reframe techniques.

Social Influence Techniques

Commitment and Consistency

• Foot-in-the-Door Technique:
  • Start with a small request to gain compliance for a larger request later.
• Low-Ball Technique:
  • Present a low-cost offer initially, revealing additional hidden costs later.

Reciprocation Techniques

• Door-in-the-Face Technique:
  • Begin with an inflated request, then retreat to a smaller, more reasonable request.
• That’s-Not-All Technique:
  • Offer a sweetened deal before the individual can respond.

Scarcity Techniques

• Limited-Number Technique:
  • Emphasizing that an item is in short supply increases its perceived value.
• Fast-Approaching-Deadline Technique:
  • Highlighting time limits for offers increases urgency.

Attention Disruption Techniques

• Pique Technique:
  • Captures attention through novel requests.
• Disrupt-Then-Reframe Technique:
  • Introduces unexpectedness that disrupts critical thinking, followed by a positive framing of the message.

Understanding Persuasion

• Definition: An attempt to change a person's attitude or belief.
• Components of Persuasion:
  1. Source:
  • Credibility (expertise and trustworthiness) and likability are essential.
  1. Message:
  • Balance between reason (facts) and emotion (appeals).
  1. Audience:
  • Characteristics (intelligence, receptivity, self-image) affect disposition to receive the message.

Factors Influencing the Source

• Source Credibility:
  • Best assessed through expertise, trustworthiness, and likability.
• Halo Effect:
  • The assumption that attractive individuals have other positive traits.

Audience Characteristics

• Intelligence and Education:
  • Critical for processing persuasive messages.
• Need for Cognition:
  • Individuals who enjoy deep thinking are more resistant to superficial arguments.
• Cultural Differences:
  • Distinctions between individualist and collectivist cultures affect receptivity.

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

• Central Route (Systematic Processing):
  • Involves careful consideration and thought about a message's content.
• Peripheral Route (Heuristic Processing):
  • Influenced by simple cues rather than deep engagement with content.

Resisting Social Influence

• Attitude Inoculation:
  • Engaging with opposing views strengthens personal beliefs.
• Forewarned is Forearmed:
  • Prior awareness of persuasion efforts enables better defense.
• Resource Stockpiling:
  • Gathering cognitive, physical, and social resources for better resilience.

Summary

• Individuals' ideas are influenced by those around them.
• There's a framework of techniques for influence and persuasion.
• Two processing routes in persuasion: conscious and automatic approaches.
• Learning to resist persuasive messaging is possible and essential.