Social Influence

1
Social Influence

• Joshua M. Phelps
• February 21st 2005

2
Explanation of Survey Study

• Attitudes toward Illegal Immigrants

3
Lecture Outline

• Intro to Social Influence
• Social Norms
• Conformity
• Obedience
• Minority Influence

4
Exam Questions

• Drøft Asch sin studie av konformitet.
• Hvordan kan en minoritet påvirke en majoritet?
• Gjør rede for undersøkelser som kaster lys over
  ulike former for sosial påvirkning og de
  konsekvenser sosial påvirkning kan ha.

5
Social Influence

• Sosial Påvirkning
• Process whereby attitudes are influenced by the
  real or implied presence of other people (Hogg
  Vaughan, 2005)
• Changes mainly in behavior resulting from
  interpersonal interaction (Fiske, 2004)

6
Social Norms

• Normer
• Generally accepted way of thinking, feeling, or
  behaving that is endorsed and expected because it
  is perceived as the right and proper thing to do
  (Turner, 1991 pg. 3).

7
Examples

• Greeting
• Standing in Line
• What happens when you violate a norm?
• How do you feel?
• How would others react?

8
Conformity

• Konformitet
• Definition Deep-seated private and enduring
  change in behavior and attitudes due to group
  pressure (Hogg Vaughan, 2005)
• The tendency to change our perceptions, opinions,
  or behaviours in ways that are consistent with
  group norms (Brehm et al. 2002, p. 222)

9
Sherif (1936)

• Autokinesis effect
• Two Conditions
• Alone - Group
• Group - Alone
• Conclusion

10
Asch (1951)

• Conformity to unanimous majority
• Unambiguous situation

11
Asch (1951)
12
Asch (1951)

• Results
• Average conformity rate 33
• Public conformity to unanimously incorrect
  majority in unambiguous situation

13
Factors Influencing Conformity

• Situation
• Group Size
• Group Unanimity
• Group Cohesiveness
• Individual Characteristics
• Culture

14
Why do people conform?

• Informational vs. Normative Influence
• Validation of Reality (Informational)
• Social Approval and Acceptance (Normative)
• Referent informational influence
• Cialdini Goldstein (2004) Motives
• Accuracy
• Affiliation
• Positive Self Concept

15
Conformity Example

• American Beauty Video

16
Obedience

• Lydighet
• Conformity to direct orders from a person of high
  status and authority (Worchel et al., 2000)

17
Milgram (1974)

• Obedience to Authority

18
Videos

• Milgrams Study
• Danish Authority Experiment

19
Factors Influencing Obedience

• Commitment
• Proximity of Victim
• Proximity of Authority
• Legitimacy of Authority
• Group Pressure

20
Why do people obey authorities?

• Adaptive
• Motives (Fiske, 2004)
• Controlling
• Trusting
• Understanding

21
Ethics and Milgram

• Participant Stress and Freedom
• Informed Consent
• Rights to quit study at any time
• Debriefing at end of study

22
Minority Influence

• Minoritet Påvirkning
• Social influence processes wherby numerical or
  power minorities change the attitudes of the
  majority (Hogg Vaughan, 2005)

23
Minority Influence

• Criticism of Conformity Bias
• Moscovici
• Blue/green slide study
• Innovation
• Conversion effect

24
How can a Minority influence the Majority?

• Be Consistent
• Be Active and Unwavering
• Invest in the Cause
• Act out of Principle
• Balance between rigidity and flexibility
• Become part of the ingroup

25
Consequences of Social Influence
26
Compliance

• Føyelighet
• Superficial, public and transitory change in
  behaviour and expressed attitudes in response to
  requests, coercion or group pressure.

27
Last Weeks Compliance Examples

• Republican National Convention
• Advertisements

28
Social Influence in Practice

• Violate a social norm
• Observe conformity to a group norm
• Watch an authority
• Influence the majority

29
Sources

• Hogg Vaughan (2005). Social Psychology, 4th
  edition.
• Fiske (2004). Social Beings
• Cialdini Goldstein (2004). Compliance and
  Conformity (Annual Review of Psychology)
• Turner (1991). Social Influence

30
Read on Own

• Power
• Types of Norms
• Variations on Conformity and Obedience Studies