Introduction to Social

Psychology
Unit 9 Social Influence
Key Terms

 Social influence: efforts by one or more individuals to change the attitudes, beliefs,
perceptions, or behaviors of one or more others
 Conformity: a type of social influence in which individuals change their attitudes or
behavior in order to adhere to social norms
 Social Norms: rules regarding how people are expected to behave in specific situations
Social Influence

 Our socialization in a western culture often impacts how we define ourselves. We focus
on what makes us unique from others at a greater level than those socialized in non-
western cultures
 It is that socialized desire to be separate, unique and independent that results in a
negative response to any suggestion that we might have been influenced by others to
go along with the group.
 In fact, I believe it is fair to say that being called a “conformist” is intended to be an
insult in our society.
 It suggests you don’t have an understanding of who you are, you aren’t being true to
yourself or you aren’t strong enough to stand up for yourself or to stand alone
Social Influence: Conformity

 We are social creatures and it is conformity (the real or imagined pressure of others)
when we act differently than if we were alone, that keeps things running smoothly.
 Think for a moment of all the places that we wait in line. Most places we go in public
require us to take turns being helped. Can you imagine if there wasn’t pressure to
conform to standing in line? It might even be difficult to imagine this because we are
socialized so well to conform in these situations. It might help to think of when we
learn to wait in line: preschool or kindergarten.
 Our early socialization allows us to know that it is important to form lines, to not move
ahead or cut in the line, and to wait patiently.
 It is something we feel pressure to do, but it doesn’t make things better or worse for
the person or society.
Types of Conformity

 acceptance: we think that the behavior we are being influenced to follow is the
correct thing to do in the situation. We agree with this behavior both publicly and
private. For example, waiting in line. You accept that this is the correct thing to do.
 Compliance: There are many times though, where we publicly go along but privately,
we disagree with or don’t want to engage in the behavior we are going along with.
 Obedience: In these situations, you comply with a direct order from a perceived
authority. A doctor tells you to take an antibiotic for 10 days. With obedience, we
follow this direct order and take the medicine for the prescribed time period.
Sherif’s Classic Autokinetic Effect
Study

 Muzafer Sherif was convinced that our views of the world

were shaped by those around us. This construction of our
reality or truths was necessary to give our perceptions
meaning.
 In order to empirically support these beliefs, he conducted
a number of studies using the autokinetic effect.
 This is an illusion that when a pinpoint of light is projected
in a dark space it appears to move even though it is
actually stationary. This paradigm was the perfect
situation for Sherif to test his idea that in an ambiguous
situation we will seek out the right thing to do or a
framework to interpret our perceptions
 He found that individual’s initial judgments would
converge with the group judgments.
Emergence of Social Norms

 Sherif’s work was the first to demonstrate the emergence of social norms
 social norms as accepted group rules and standards that guide our behavior without
the force of law. We can also think of norms as representing what we ought to do or
the correct thing to do. They are the accepted way of thinking, feeling and behaving
that the group supports.
 social norms become the most obvious when someone violates them.
 Norms can vary in importance to the group and the reactions to the adoption or
violation of the norm can vary in intensity. Most often, the social approval in following
the norm is what encourages us to adopt it.
Motivation to Conform

Two reasons we conform, normative influence and informational influence.

 We either conform because we want to be accepted by others (normative) or we

conform because we think it is the right thing to do (informational).
 It is possible to be motivated by both types of influence, however in the case of
acceptance, we typically are conforming because of informational influence, we
believe what we are doing is the right thing to do
Compliance:
Asch Line Judgement Task Study

 They went along with the group even though the answer was clearly
wrong. What would motivate them to conform in this way — to
publicly agree, but privately disagree? Why not just say the correct
answer?
 most of the participants in Asch’s study were motivated to conform
from the social pressure or desire for approval from the confederates.
 We want to have meaningful social relationships with others.
 To create and maintain these relationships, we believe that by doing
things others approve of, they will approve of us as well
Factors influencing conformity

 Unanimity: Asch’s line judgment task study that the participant is put into a situation
where there is unanimity. Everyone agrees with the clearly wrong answer multiple
times. Situations where a majority of people express the same viewpoint or behaving
in the same way will result in increased conformity. Going against a majority is
stressful and can elicit negative reactions from them, so it is easier to just go along
 Interdependent: One way to create cohesion is to give the group a common goal,
making them interdependent. Several studies simply told the participants in the group
that by working together they could win a prize. This new interdependence of working
toward the prize increased conformity.
 Similarities: We are much more likely to conform to our friends who we share things in
common with. We are even more likely to conform to a group of strangers if our
similarities are pointed out
6 Basic Principles of Compliance

 Friendship or liking
 Commitment or consistency
 Scarcity
 Reciprocity
 Social validation
 Authority
Tactics to encourage Compliance

 Ingratiation: a technique for gaining compliance  Foot-in-the-door technique: A procedure for

in which requesters first induce target persons gaining compliance in which requesters
to like them, and then attempt to change their begin with a small request and then, when
behavior in some desired manner this is granted, escalate to a larger one
 Lowball procedure: A technique for gaining
 Playing Hard to Get: A technique that can
compliance where an offer or deal is changed to
be used for increasing compliance by
make it less attractive to the target person after
this person has accepted it suggesting that a person or object is scarce
and hard to obtain
 “That’s-Not-All”: A technique for gaining
compliance in which requesters offer additional  Deadline technique: A technique for
benefits to target persons increasing compliance in which target
 Door-in-the-face: A procedure for gaining persons are told that they have only limited
compliance in which requesters begin with a time to take advantage of some offer or to
large request and then, when this is refused, obtain some item, increasing feelings of
retreat to a smaller one, which was often the urgency
goal to begin with
Obedience: Stanley Milgram Study

 This very famous study is often connected to one of the most

horrible tragedies in recent human history, the Holocaust.
 recruited to participate in a study on the effect of punishment
on learning.
 Both slips of paper say “Teacher,” so no matter what you will
end up in that role.
 The other person is assigned the role of “Learner.”
Obedience: Stanley Milgram Study

 The learner is set up in another room with an intercom and light system. You follow the experimenter and learner into this room.
You watch them being hooked up to electrodes and even get to feel 40 volts of electricity.
 It is explained to you that you will be giving the learner words to remember.
 If they get them right then you move forward with the next word, but if they get them wrong you shock them with the shock
generator that is sitting in front of you
 Every time they give an incorrect answer, you are to increase the voltage 15 units. The end voltage reads 450 volts, DANGER
SEVERE SHOCK
 At first, the learner is doing great and getting them correct. Then he starts to get them wrong and you continue to increase the
amount of shock until at 150 volts, the learner protests. He wants out, he is experiencing pain and his heart is starting to bother
him. You might be thinking at this point that you would stop. You would never intentionally hurt someone.
 Well, at least 65% of you didn’t stop, you went all the way to 450 volts before you stopped. You kept going even when the
learner yelled in pain from 150-330 volts and even when he completely stopped responding from 300 until 450 volts. Did
people just sit and flip the switches, administering shock without any care for the learner? No. In most cases, they asked to
stop. They told the experimenter they thought they should stop.
 They expressed concern for this person, but in all cases the experimenter would respond with one of the four following phrases,
“Please continue or go on,” “The experiment requires you to continue,” “It is absolutely essential that you continue,” and “You
have no choice. You must go on.” It wasn’t until you said no to continuing the experiment after each of the four responses, that
the experiment would end. You weren’t physically coerced — you were simply told to go on and most of you obeyed.
Destructive Obedience: why it
occurs?

 Authority assumes responsibility

 Authority’s status is apparent and acts
as a reminder of social norms to obey
 Authority’s commands involve gradual
escalation of commitment
 Participants have little time for
reflection or systematic processing
Reducing Destructive Obedience

 Several factors can help to reduce the

occurrence of destructive obedience.  Increase participants’ responsibility for any
 These include reminding individuals that harm done to others
they share in the responsibility for any
 Indicate that total submission to authority
harm produced;
is inappropriate
 reminding them that beyond some point,
obedience is inappropriate;
 Provide disobedient models

 calling the motives of authority figures  Question authority’s expertise and motives
into question;  Increase awareness of the power of the
 and informing the general public of the situation
findings of social psychological research  Share the results of research studies on
on this topic. obedience