Social Influence Psychology.

1. Social Influence

2. Social Influence Outline
 Conformity
 Motivation
 Minority influence
 Obedience to authority

3. Social Influence
 How individual behavior is influenced by other
people and groups

5. I. CONFORMITY
 I. Conformity:
 Tendency to change our behavior/beliefs in ways that are
consistent with group norms
 Norms: Accepted ways of thinking, feeling, behaving
 Why do we follow norms?
 Make life easier
 Rewards for following norms
 Internalization of norms

6.  A. Norm of reciprocity
 When someone provides you with a benefit, it is appropriate for
you to return the favor
 EXAMPLE: Regan (1971)
 “Coke” study
 B. Norm of social commitment
 Keeping our promises and honoring our commitments
 C. Conforming to group norms
 Tendency to follow attitudes and behavior of the group

7. Why do we conform to the group?
 1) Informational influence
 Look to others for information
 EXAMPLE: Sherif's (1936) autokinetic effect studies

8. Autokinetic effect: the stationary dot of light
will seem to move
It moved about
3.5 inches

9. What if people make their judgments with
others, and state estimates aloud?
Looks like 1 inch
I’d say 2 inches
7.5 inches

10. Conformity!
Initially, they differ; but over trials, they converge
Person A
Person B
Person C
Convergence
Alone Group
Session 1
Group
Session 3
Group
Session 2
Averagedistance
estimates

11. Why do we conform to the group?
 "Do as most do, and [people] will speak well of
thee"
-Thomas Fuller
 2) Normative influence
 We want to be liked, accepted and to fit in
 We don’t want to look foolish
 EXAMPLE:
 Asch’s (1950s) conformity studies

12. Asch's (1955) conformity studies
1 2 3
Standard Line Comparison Lines
Trial 1

13. 1 2 3
Standard Line Comparison Lines
Trial 2
Asch's (1955) conformity studies

14. 1 2 3
Standard Line Comparison Lines
Trial 3
Asch's (1955) conformity studies

15. Asch’s (1950s) conformity studies
 Procedures:
 One subject, six or more
confederates
 Which line is the same length as
the standard?
 People reported answers out
loud, one at a time
 Subject always last
 On 12 of 18 trials, confederates
answered incorrectly
 Results:
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Average
conformity
Conformed
every time
# conformed
at least once

16. Majority and Minority
Influence
 Majority influence:
 Larger group influences smaller subgroup or individuals
 Minority influence:
 The individual or smaller group influences the larger group

17. Obedience
 Willingness to obey “legitimate” authority
 Example: Milgram obedience studies
 Procedures:
 ‘Teacher’ & ‘Student’: learn word pairs
 ‘Teacher’ required to administer shock to ‘learner’ for errors

19. The Milgram Experiments:
Results
 Over 60% punished learners with the highest shock intensity (450
volts)