Social Impact Theory Flashcards
Who developed Social Impact Theory?
Latane and in 1981
What did Latane propose?
That we are greatly influenced by the actions of others; we can be persuaded, inhibited, threatened & supported by other people.
What can other people, real or images do?
Can influence how we feel and behave, hence it has an impact on how we feel or respond.
What is Social Impact Theory defined as?
‘Any individual feelings, thoughts or behaviour that is exerted by the real, implied or imagined presence or actions of others.’
What can persuasive argument or others simply having a certain opinion do to an individual’s beliefs?
Can work to change them or change beliefs.
What can the source of influence be?
Individuals or groups
What did Latane and Wolf 1981 day?
The size & statue of a group will affect when an individuals attitudes are influenced to be more in line with those of the group they feel apart of. However minority influences occur, this is when a small committed few can change the attitudes of the minority. The main point is that others & group influence can affect individual’s behaviour.
What is group polarisation?
The tendency for a group to have more extreme ideas & attitudes than individuals within the group. This might be to give a group a sense of identity or to make the group seem important.
What is social loafing?
Term more people who are in a group but do not contribute to the groups decisions or actions.
What are the targets of social influence?
Those who experience the impacts of social influence- the influenced.
What are the sources of social influence?
Those who exert influence onto others.
What is social influence dependent on?
Strength
Immediacy
Number
How can strength of a source be determined?
Status, authority and age.
How can immediacy be determined?
By proximity of the source to the targets and presence of or not buffers. The greater the distance, the less will be the influence on the source of the target.
What does number refer to?
The number of sources or targets there are in any given situation.
In regards to obedience, What does social impact theory mean for authority figures?
If they are perceived legitimate and high status, it will ensure higher levels of obedience.
What did Berkowitz, Bickman & Milgram 1969 show?
At the City University of New York, they did a study between 1 and 15 confederates. They stood on the street outside the University looking up at the 6th floor. Milgram was on the 6th floor recording the number of passers-by who looked up also (influenced by those around them). Results showed that even though increasing number of confederated looking up did increase the numbers of passers by who imitated this behaviour, the numbers of passers by who did this grew smaller relative to the size of the confederate group. The effect levelled off and plateaued.
What often happens when there are more targets to be influenced?
Often reduces the impact or effectiveness of the source to change behaviour. It suggests that an authority figure will have less influence if the target had an ally or a group of allies.
Describe Sedikides & Jackson 1990 both study and confounding variable.
New York Zoo: visitors asked not to lean on a raking, strength of source varied:
Zoo keeper= 58% obedience,
T-Shirt and shorts= 35%.
Obedience also declined when visitor was further away from the zoo keeper making the request:
61% same room,
7% adjacent room. (Immediacy)
Obedience was greater when there were fewer targets to sources:
1/2 visitors = 60%,
5/6 visitors = 14%. (Divisional effect).
The confounding variable- maybe people who around in larger groups have less obedient personalities?
Latane, Cappel and Joy 1970 support evidence for psychological law, what was it?
Isolated rats were more sociable when introduced to others & the level of sociability increased with the number of rats, however this sociability levelled off and became more marginal as crowding & the rat population increased.
Weakness of SIT: how is it oversimplified?
Oversimplifies the nature of human interaction & ignored individual differences and these factors (some are resistant or passive or easily persuaded) are likely the affect the impact of others on an individual.
It also disregards the active nature of social interactions & what the target themselves bring to the social situation- the interactions between target and source might influence behaviour!
The study has predictive validity (how) but why does it have an issue too?
Useful in general formulation & in predicting behaviour under certain conditions HOWEVER more descriptive than explanatory. It does not explain why people are influenced by others, simply under what conditions they are more likely to be influenced.
Why is SIT a good theory to apply to obedience?
It incorporates various factors about obedience, such as why people might obey group orders more than offers from an individual & why their obedience might be affected if they have someone else on their side.
Why can SIT be argued as less useful?
As it was not designed to explain obedience but rather to explain how people are affected by the influence of others.
