Social Impact Theory

Question 1

Social impact theory was proposed by…

Answer 1

… Latané (1981)

Question 2

Social impact theory is not a theory of obedience, but it can be…

Answer 2

… applied to obedience.

Question 3

What does social impact theory look at?

Answer 3

The functioning of individuals in the presence of others.

Question 4

How we are affected by…

Answer 4

… our social environment.

Question 5

Opinions we encounter as…

Answer 5

… social beings.

Question 6

Latané looks at attitudes, and the impacts of…

Answer 6

…others on one’s attitudes.

Question 7

What is social impact?

Answer 7

Any individual feelings, thoughts, or behaviour that is exerted by the real, implied of imagined presence/ actions of others.

Question 8

Social functioning can partly be explained by…

Answer 8

… looking at individual functioning.

Question 9

Individual functioning is affected by…

Answer 9

… one’s social group.

Question 10

Individuals functioning socially often behave differently to…

Answer 10

… how they would as individuals.

Question 11

Nowak et al. concluded that there are laws about individuals functioning in a social context, that…

Answer 11

… laws about individual functioning can’t explain.

Question 12

Persuasive argument can…

Answer 12

… change one’s beliefs.

Question 13

Attitudes usually change to be closer to…

Answer 13

… the source of influence.

Question 14

What would be the source of influence?

Answer 14

Attitudes of one’s social group.

Question 15

A few people can change the attitude of…

Answer 15

… the majority.

Question 16

According to Latané & Wold, the size and status of the group will affect…

Answer 16

… how easily one’s attitudes are influenced.

Question 17

What is group polarisation?

Answer 17

When a group has more extreme ideas and attitudes than its members do.

Question 18

Why could group polarisation occur?

Answer 18

To give a group identity, or to draw importance to it.

Question 19

Group polarisation is the reason why…

Answer 19

… an individual’s views differ from the main view of their social group.

Question 20

What is the formula for the mathematical model of social impact?

Answer 20

i = f(SIN)

Question 21

Social impact theory has useful predictive power due to…

Answer 21

… the use of a mathematical model.

Question 22

The theory is set out very clearly, giving it…

Answer 22

… reliability.

Question 23

The model is generalisable to various cultures, as…

Answer 23

… the features taken into account are present in all social groups.

Question 24

Social impact theory can be used to explain why there was less obedience when the participant had peer support, as…

Answer 24

… the model acknowledges that social impact is affected by the number of people being influenced.

Question 25

The model suits the idea that people obey those in authority, as…

Answer 25

… it acknowledges strength and power, which are held by authority, as a factor regarding obedience and influence.

Question 26

How is social impact theory a static theory?

Answer 26

It doesn’t take into account individual & personality effects.

Question 27

Impact is affected by many different factors that it doesn’t seem as if…

Answer 27

… they could all be reduced to a mathematical formula.