Social Influence

Power of Social Influence:
- Social influence stems from social norms which are understood rules for accepted and expected behavior.
- Norms prescribe proper behavior, guiding individuals on how to act in various situations.
- Social pressure can compel individuals towards negative directions.

Isolated Grievances:
- Individuals who share grievances can move from being dissenters to rebels.
- In extreme cases, rebels can evolve into terrorists.
Social Contagion:
- Compliance with social pressures can lead to social contagion, which includes suggestibility and mimicry influences on behavior.
- This phenomenon is termed the chameleon effect, where individuals start behaving like those around them, affecting their emotions and leading to mood contagion.
- Social networks act as contagious pathways for moods, illustrating both positive and negative contagion effects.

Conformity:
- Refers to the adjustment of behavior or thinking to align with group standards.
- Includes aspects of suggestibility and mimicry as previously mentioned.
Types of Social Influence:
- Normative Social Influence:
- Driven by the desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval from a group.
- Informational Social Influence:
- Occurs when individuals accept others' opinions about reality, driven by the need for accuracy.

Reflection by Steven Pinker (2019):
- Presented irony concerning students’ perceptions of non-conformity associated with tattoos and piercings.
- Tattoos were once seen as non-conforming, but have transitioned into a fashion conformity, potentially losing its radical appeal as it becomes normalized.

Overview:
- Participants were shown a card with four lines: one standard line and three comparison lines.
- Participants had to identify which comparison line matched the standard line.
Group Dynamics:
- In Asch's experiment, the participant, positioned sixth, faced peer pressure from five accomplices who deliberately provided incorrect answers.
- The participant typically conformed, choosing line three, even when they knew the answer was incorrect.

Factors Determining Conformity:
- Feeling of incompetence or insecurity.
- Presence of at least three other group members.
- Collective agreement among group members.
- Attractiveness or high status of the group.
- No prior commitment to a response.
- Awareness of observation by others in the group.
- Culture favoring respect for social standards.

Experiment Setup:
- Participants assigned roles as teachers or learners, with learners being accomplices.
- Teachers administered electric shocks for incorrect answers to the learners, who were strapped to a machine.
Findings:
- A majority (65%) of participants continued administering shocks up to 450 volts, despite significant protests from the learners.
- Obedience was heightened under certain conditions:
- Proximity to authority figures.
- High-status institution backing.
- Victim depersonalization (participant cannot see victim).
- Absence of a role model to defy authority.
- Implications: Ordinary individuals can be compelled to commit cruel acts through strong social influence.

Definition:
- Coined by Norman Triplett, refers to improved performance on well-learned tasks when in the presence of others.
Impacts:
- Performance on easy tasks improves.
- Performance on difficult tasks may decline.
- Example: comedians may prefer a lively audience for better performance.

Definition:
- Tendency for individuals in a group to exert less effort towards a common goal than when accountable individually.
Characteristics:
- Diminished feelings of responsibility in group settings.
- Participants may overestimate their contributions and rely on others to carry the workload.

Definition:
- Loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that can lead to disinhibited behaviors.
Examples:
- Celebratory violence following major sports victories, where anonymity allowed individuals to act disruptively (e.g., Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl win 2018, Vancouver Stanley Cup riots).

Overview:
- Prevalent discussions among like-minded individuals strengthen existing beliefs and attitudes.
Internet Influence:
- Online algorithms reinforce viewpoints, leading to potential emotional healing or support among communities (e.g., cancer survivors, bereaved parents).
- Conversely, it can amplify extremist views (e.g., white supremacists).

Definition:
- Desire for harmony within a decision-making group can lead to a lack of realistic appraisal of alternatives.
Individual Influence:
- A small, consistent minority can sway majority opinions.

Ethical Considerations:
- The escalation from minor compliance to significant harmful behaviors underscores the dangers of conformity.
- Examples from history illustrate the relationship between compliance and violation of ethics.
Critical Thinking:
- As social amplifiers, media and online interactions necessitate scrutiny of the information consumed to avoid polarizing effects and to identify non-conformist viewpoints.