Welcome to Social Influence!
Ever wondered why you start talking like your friends after hanging out with them? Or why people sometimes follow orders even when they know they’re wrong? That is what Social Influence is all about! In this chapter, we explore how the people around us—and the situations we find ourselves in—change the way we think and act.
Don't worry if some of these terms seem big at first; we’ll break them down into easy, bite-sized pieces with plenty of real-world examples!
1. Conformity: Going Along with the Crowd
Conformity is when we change our behavior or beliefs to fit in with a group. Think of it like a "social magnet" pulling you toward what everyone else is doing.
Why do we conform? (Social Factors)
Social factors are things about the situation that make us more likely to follow the group:
• Group Size: We are more likely to conform in a group of 3 or more. If only one person does something, you might ignore them. If three people do it, you start to wonder if they're right!
• Anonymity: If we can give our answer in private (like a secret ballot), we conform less because we aren't afraid of the group judging us.
• Task Difficulty: If a task is really hard, we look to others for the answer. If the task is easy, we are more likely to trust ourselves.
Who conforms more? (Dispositional Factors)
Dispositional factors are things about your personality:
• Personality: People with low self-esteem or a high need for social approval tend to conform more.
• Expertise: If you are an expert in something (like being a pro at a video game), you are less likely to conform to what others say about it because you trust your own knowledge.
Key Study: Asch (1951)
Asch showed participants a "standard line" and three "comparison lines." He asked them which comparison line was the same length as the standard one.
• The Twist: Everyone else in the room was an actor (confederate) who purposefully gave the wrong answer.
• The Result: About 75% of participants conformed at least once! They went along with the wrong answer just to fit in.
• Conclusion: People will follow a majority even when the majority is obviously wrong.
Quick Review: Conformity is "fitting in." We do it more in big groups or when tasks are hard, but we do it less if we can be anonymous or if we are experts.
2. Obedience: Following Orders
Obedience is different from conformity. While conformity is about fitting in with equals, obedience is about following a direct order from someone in authority (like a teacher, police officer, or boss).
Milgram’s Agency Theory
Milgram suggested we live in two "states":
1. Autonomous State: You feel responsible for your own actions. You are "your own boss."
2. Agentic State: You feel like you are just an "agent" for someone else. You follow orders and feel the authority figure is responsible for what happens, not you.
Factors Affecting Obedience
• Agency: Moving from being independent to being an "agent" for someone else.
• Authority: We obey more if the person looks like they have power (e.g., wearing a uniform).
• Culture: Some cultures teach us to respect authority more strictly than others.
• Proximity: If the authority figure is standing right next to you, you are much more likely to obey than if they are on the phone.
The "Strict Parent" Factor: Adorno’s Theory
Adorno argued that some people have an Authoritarian Personality. These people are very likely to obey authority figures. They usually grew up with very strict parents and think the world is "black and white"—you either follow the rules or you're wrong.
Key Takeaway: Obedience happens because we see ourselves as "tools" for an authority figure (Agentic State) or because our personality makes us naturally submissive to power.
3. Prosocial Behaviour: Helping Others
Prosocial behaviour is any act intended to help others (like picking up someone's dropped books). The big question in psychology is: Why do we sometimes NOT help? This is called Bystander Intervention.
Why do we help (or not)?
Social Factors:
• Presence of others: If there are many people around, we often don't help because we think someone else will do it. This is called diffusion of responsibility.
• Cost of helping: If helping is dangerous or will make us late for work, we are less likely to do it.
Dispositional Factors:
• Similarity to victim: We are more likely to help people who are like us (e.g., same age or wearing the same football shirt).
• Expertise: If you have medical training, you are much more likely to help someone who has collapsed because you feel confident you know what to do.
Key Study: Piliavin’s Subway Study
Researchers staged collapses on a New York subway to see who would help.
• Results: A person carrying a cane (appearing disabled) was helped 95% of the time. A person appearing drunk was only helped 50% of the time.
• Conclusion: We help more when the "cost" of helping is low and when we feel the victim "deserves" the help.
Memory Aid: Remember the "Bystander Effect" as the "Someone Else Will Do It" effect.
4. Crowd and Collective Behaviour
How do we act when we are in a huge group, like at a concert or a protest? Sometimes we act in ways we never would alone!
Social Factors in Crowds
• Social Loafing: When in a group, people often put in less effort because they think others will pick up the slack (e.g., not cheering as loudly in a crowd as you would alone).
• Deindividuation: When you are in a crowd or wearing a mask/uniform, you lose your sense of individual identity. You feel "hidden" and might do things you normally wouldn't (like being mean online or rioting).
• Culture: Some cultures focus more on the group's needs (collectivist), while others focus on the individual (individualist).
Dispositional Factors in Crowds
• Personality: People with an internal "locus of control" (who believe they are in charge of their own lives) are less likely to follow a crowd's bad behavior.
• Morality: People with strong moral principles will refuse to join in with antisocial crowd behavior, even if there is pressure to do so.
Quick Review Box:
• Prosocial: Helping others.
• Antisocial: Hurting others or the community.
• Deindividuation: Losing your identity in a crowd (the "anonymous" feeling).
Final Tips for Success
Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! The easiest way to remember these concepts is to think of your own life. Think of a time you conformed (bought a specific brand of shoes because everyone had them) or a time you obeyed (followed a teacher's instruction).
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't confuse Conformity with Obedience! Conformity is about being like your peers (equals); Obedience is about following an authority figure (someone "above" you).