Social impact theory Flashcards
What is the multiplication effect?
The impact of strength, number and immdiacy when multiplied together has a greater impact on someone than one individual factor alone.
What is the psychsocial law?
-Each person added to a situation increases the impact on the target but for each person added they have less impact on the target.
What is social impact theory?
The more number, strength and immedicy, the more likely someone is to obey an authority figure.
What are the strengths of the social impact theory study (Milgram, Bickham and Berkowitz).
-Is a field experiment so it has high ecological validity, a naturalistic setting and can account for real life.
What are the weaknesses of the social impact theory study (Milgram, Bickham and Berkowitz).
-It is not in a controlled and standerdised setting.
-No informed consent.
-Low mundane realism(not a likely situation to see).
-Theory only accounts for three factors which can impact obedience.
How did Milgram, Bickham and Berkowitz investigate social impact theory?
-Had between 1 and 15confederates stand in a street and look up at the 6th floor of a building.
How many people obeyed in the study with 1 confederate?
42%
How many people obeyed in the study with 15 confederates?
86%
What factors does the study of social impact theory demonstrate?
-Number
-Psychosocial law
What is the source?
The person giving the order (authority figure).
What is the target?
Person receiving the order.
What is the divisional effect?
-The more targets to impact the less strength the source will have (strength is divided by the number of targets).
What is strength?
How much power you believe the person influencing you has (legitiamate authority will have more strength)
What is immediacy?
-How recent the order was.
-How close the source is to the target.
What is number?
-The more people putting pressure on you the more social impact they will have on you.
