Social Impact Theory Flashcards
Social impact theory was proposed by…
… Latané (1981)
Social impact theory is not a theory of obedience, but it can be…
… applied to obedience.
What does social impact theory look at?
The functioning of individuals in the presence of others.
How we are affected by…
… our social environment.
Opinions we encounter as…
… social beings.
Latané looks at attitudes, and the impacts of…
…others on one’s attitudes.
What is social impact?
Any individual feelings, thoughts, or behaviour that is exerted by the real, implied of imagined presence/ actions of others.
Social functioning can partly be explained by…
… looking at individual functioning.
Individual functioning is affected by…
… one’s social group.
Individuals functioning socially often behave differently to…
… how they would as individuals.
Nowak et al. concluded that there are laws about individuals functioning in a social context, that…
… laws about individual functioning can’t explain.
Persuasive argument can…
… change one’s beliefs.
Attitudes usually change to be closer to…
… the source of influence.
What would be the source of influence?
Attitudes of one’s social group.
A few people can change the attitude of…
… the majority.
According to Latané & Wold, the size and status of the group will affect…
… how easily one’s attitudes are influenced.
What is group polarisation?
When a group has more extreme ideas and attitudes than its members do.
Why could group polarisation occur?
To give a group identity, or to draw importance to it.
Group polarisation is the reason why…
… an individual’s views differ from the main view of their social group.
What is the formula for the mathematical model of social impact?
i = f(SIN)
Social impact theory has useful predictive power due to…
… the use of a mathematical model.
The theory is set out very clearly, giving it…
… reliability.
The model is generalisable to various cultures, as…
… the features taken into account are present in all social groups.
Social impact theory can be used to explain why there was less obedience when the participant had peer support, as…
… the model acknowledges that social impact is affected by the number of people being influenced.
The model suits the idea that people obey those in authority, as…
… it acknowledges strength and power, which are held by authority, as a factor regarding obedience and influence.
How is social impact theory a static theory?
It doesn’t take into account individual & personality effects.
Impact is affected by many different factors that it doesn’t seem as if…
… they could all be reduced to a mathematical formula.
