Welcome to Social Influence!
Ever wondered why you suddenly start liking a song just because all your friends are listening to it? Or why people follow orders even when they know they’re doing something wrong? That is exactly what Social Influence is all about! In this chapter, we’ll look at how the presence of other people (real or imagined) changes the way we think and act. Don't worry if some of the names or theories seem a bit heavy at first—we’ll break them down into bite-sized pieces.
1. Conformity: Going Along with the Crowd
Conformity is a type of social influence where we change our behavior or beliefs to fit in with a group. It’s like an "unwritten rule" that we feel pressured to follow.
Types of Conformity
Not all conformity is the same! Psychologists suggest there are different levels of "giving in":
• Compliance: This is the most superficial level. You go along with the group in public but disagree with them in private. Example: Laughing at a joke you don't find funny just because everyone else is laughing.
• Internalisation: This is the deepest level. You change your behavior because you actually believe the group is right. Your "inner" and "outer" selves now agree. Example: Moving to a new city where everyone recycles, and you start doing it because you’ve realized it really is the best thing for the planet.
Why Do We Conform? (Explanations)
Psychologists Deutsch and Gerard suggested two main reasons why we give in to group pressure:
• Informational Social Influence (ISI): We conform because we want to be right. If we are in a confusing situation, we look to others for information.
Memory Aid: "I" for Informational = "I" want to be right!
• Normative Social Influence (NSI): We conform because we want to be liked and accepted. We want to avoid looking foolish or being rejected by the "norm."
Memory Aid: "N" for Normative = "N" for being Normal/liked!
Asch’s Research (1951)
Solomon Asch did a famous study where participants had to match the length of a "standard line" to three "comparison lines." The catch? Everyone else in the room was an actor (confederate) who purposely gave the wrong answer!
• The Result: Participants conformed to the wrong answer about \( 37\% \) of the time. Over \( 75\% \) of participants conformed at least once.
Variables Affecting Conformity
Asch found that certain things made people more or less likely to conform:
• Group Size: Conformity increased as the group size grew, but only up to a point. With 3 confederates, conformity jumped, but adding more than that didn't change things much.
• Unanimity: If just one other person disagreed with the group (a "dissenter"), conformity dropped significantly. Having an ally makes us much braver!
• Task Difficulty: When the lines were made more similar (making the task harder), conformity increased. Why? Because we become less sure of ourselves and look to others for the right answer (ISI).
Quick Review: Conformity
Compliance is surface-level; Internalisation is deep belief. We conform to be right (ISI) or to be liked (NSI). Asch showed that group size and difficulty increase conformity, while a partner decreases it.
2. Obedience: Following Orders
Obedience is different from conformity. While conformity is about following "the crowd," obedience is about following a direct order from someone we perceive as an authority figure.
Milgram’s Research (1963)
Stanley Milgram wanted to know why people followed orders during the Holocaust. He told participants they were taking part in a "learning study" and ordered them to give increasingly powerful electric shocks to a "learner" (who was actually an actor) every time they got a question wrong.
• The Result: Every single participant went up to 300 volts. Shockingly, \( 65\% \) went all the way to the maximum 450 volts (which was marked "Danger: Severe Shock"). This showed that ordinary people are surprisingly obedient to authority.
Situational Variables in Obedience
Milgram changed his experiment slightly to see what influenced the results:
• Proximity: When the teacher and learner were in the same room, obedience dropped to \( 40\% \). If the teacher had to force the learner's hand onto a shock plate, it dropped to \( 30\% \). The closer we are to the consequences, the less we obey.
• Location: When the study moved from prestigious Yale University to a run-down office building, obedience dropped to \( 47.5\% \). High-status locations make the authority seem more "real."
• Uniform: In the original, the researcher wore a grey lab coat. When an "ordinary member of the public" in everyday clothes gave the orders, obedience dropped to just \( 20\% \). Uniforms are powerful symbols of authority.
Psychological Explanations for Obedience
• Agentic State: This is when we feel like an "agent" for someone else. We feel we aren't responsible for our actions because we are "just following orders." The opposite is the Autonomous State, where we take full responsibility.
• Legitimacy of Authority: We are more likely to obey people who we perceive as having a "right" to tell us what to do because of their position in the social hierarchy (like police, doctors, or teachers).
The Dispositional Explanation: The Authoritarian Personality
What if some people are just born (or raised) to be more obedient? Adorno suggested the Authoritarian Personality. These people:
• Have extreme respect for authority and submissiveness to it.
• Look down on people they see as "inferior."
• Usually had very strict parents who used physical punishment. This leads to displaced anger toward weaker groups.
Note: Adorno used the "F-scale" (Fascism scale) to measure this personality type.
Quick Review: Obedience
Milgram showed that \( 65\% \) of people would deliver a fatal shock if told to by an authority. Proximity, Location, and Uniform change how much we obey. We obey because we feel like "agents" (Agentic State) or because we see the leader as Legitimate.
3. Resistance to Social Influence
Not everyone gives in! Some people are great at saying "No." How do they do it?
• Social Support: If you have a "buddy" who also refuses to conform or obey, it’s much easier for you to do the same. They act as a "model" showing that resistance is possible. Think of Asch’s dissenter—they broke the power of the group!
• Locus of Control (LoC): This is a personality theory by Rotter. It’s about where you think the "control" in your life comes from:
1. Internal LoC: You believe you are in control of your own destiny. ("I failed because I didn't study.") These people are more likely to resist pressure because they take personal responsibility.
2. External LoC: You believe things happen because of luck, fate, or other people. ("I failed because the test was unfair.") These people are less likely to resist because they feel they have less control.
4. Minority Influence
Sometimes, a small group (or even one person) can change the minds of a huge majority. Think about the Suffragettes or the Civil Rights movement. To be successful, a minority must use three key tactics:
• Consistency: The minority must keep saying the same thing over a long period of time (Diachronic consistency) and all members must agree with each other (Synchronic consistency). It makes the majority stop and think, "Maybe they have a point?"
• Commitment: The minority should show they are willing to suffer for their cause (the Augmentation Principle). If you’re willing to go to jail or take a risk for your belief, people take you more seriously.
• Flexibility: Being too rigid can be off-putting. The minority should be prepared to negotiate and show they are reasonable, rather than just being dogmatic or "stubborn."
Did you know? When these three factors work, people start moving from the majority to the minority. This is called the Snowball Effect—the more people join the minority, the faster it grows until it becomes the new majority!
Final Key Takeaway
Social influence isn't just about being "weak." It's a fundamental part of how humans interact. Whether it's Conformity (fitting in), Obedience (following rules), or Minority Influence (changing the world), understanding these concepts helps us understand the society we live in every day.