Obedience Social Impact Theory Flashcards
Define Social Impact
An explanation of the extent to which other people’s real or imagined presence can alter the way an individual thinks, feels or acts. Impact is determined by immediacy and number of sources during any interaction.
Latane mathematical formula
Impact on the target = f(SIN)
Formula - Strength
Perceived power/authority of the source and the messages that they convey.
e.g. a strong source may have power over the target or they may communicate in an authoritative, intense, charismatic way.
Strength effected by social economic status, age and the nature of past /future relationship with target.
Formula - Immediacy
Reflects the closeness of the source and the target in terms of space and time.
Physical/psychological barriesr effect it.
Formula - Number
Relates to how many sources are present during the interaction, which determine the level of social impact.
Multiplicative Effect
Latane used this to explain how increasing strength, immediacy and/or number of sources can sig increase the social impact.
Divisional Effect
Explain idea that social impact is reduced if there are more targets than there are sources - the impact is divided by the number of targets and therefore the impact on each person is reduced.
Law of Diminishing Returns
Latane said that once the group is bigger than three, each additional person has less of an influencing effect.
e.g. adding 1 person to 52 would impact less than adding 1 to 2 people.
Social Impact Reduced formula
Impact on the target = f(1/SIN))
Strength of Study
Supported by a field experiment at a zoo where visitors asked not to lean on the railings. Researchers manipulated the strength of source by dressing confederate as a zoo keeper (58%) or in a T-shirt (35%).
Obedience declined when visitors further away (61% same room, 7% adjacent) from person making the request (immediacy).
Obedience greater in smaller group of 1 or 2 visitors (60%) compared with 5 or 6 (14%) (divisional).
Shows importance of SIN on social impact.
Competing Zoo Experiment
- Field experiment means researchers were not able to manipulate no. of people in group, a threat to internal validity.
People in larger groups may have less obedient personality (CV), means it may not be group size alone effecting defiance observed.
Weakness
Role of immediacy may not be a key ingredient in social impact.
Hofling et al did an experiment where a doctor called 22 nurses and asked them to administer an overdose of a drug that was not on ward list. Nurses obeyed without question.
Challenges SIT as source being absent should have reduced the effect but it didn’t. Or at least didn’t appear to make a difference - there was no comparison so can’t know for sure.
Application
Understand how people enhance their social influence.
Political leaders increase influence in ways like adopting a strong and persuasive style of communication to connect with the target voters, reaching voters face-face, addressing smaller groups rather than large crowds.
Shows how psychological knowledge can be applied to society and how peoples behaviour could be influenced through a strategic campaign.
