1.1.1 Social Impact Theory

Question 1

Source

Answer 1

The authority figure giving orders

Question 2

Target

Answer 2

The ones obeying the orders

Question 3

Intro

Answer 3

We are greatly influences by the actions of others. There are three laws of behaviour which offer explaination as to why people may obey.

Question 4

1. Social Force

Answer 4

The pressure put on people to change their behaviour.

The likelihood a person will respond to social influence will increase with:
- Strength (the amount of power you believe the person influencing you has)
- Immediacy (how recent and close they were with the order)
- Numbers (the more influences putting pressure on you)

Question 5

2. Psychosocial law

Answer 5

The idea that the first source has the most dramatic impact on people but the next sources don’t generate much more impact.

Question 6

3. Divisions of Impact

Answer 6

Social force is spread between the people its directed at. If it’s put on one person they have greater pressure to obey however if its on 10 people they feel less pressure. Diffusion of responsibility. The more people the less personal responsibility is felt.