social impact theory

Question 1

what is it a theory of?

Answer 1

why and how people are obedient

Question 2

what does the theory believe?

Answer 2

that we are influenced by others and our behaviour ia affected by the presence of others

Question 3

who created the theory?

Answer 3

latane

Question 4

what two kinds of people did lateen refer to?

Answer 4

source of obedience

targets for obedience

Question 5

what are the factors that affect obedience?

Answer 5

social forces

psychosocial law of multiplication vs division of impact

Question 6

what are the social factors?

Answer 6

number
immediacy
strength

Question 7

what does number relate to?

Answer 7

the amount of sources and targets present

higher number of sources

Question 8

what does immediacy relate to?

Answer 8

proximity and distance between source and target

the closer they are the more obedience

Question 9

what does strength refer to?

Answer 9

determined by things such as age, status and authority

higher status the people will more likely obey

Question 10

what is the formula that used to work out obedience/

Answer 10

i=f(SIN)

Question 11

what doe step formula allow people to do?

Answer 11

make predictions about future behaviour

Question 12

what is the psychosocial law and multiplication effect?

Answer 12

this is where increasing the number of sources is only effective to a certain point
the presence of them become less dramatic as they increase

Question 13

what is the psychosocial law and division effect?

Answer 13

if there is a large group of targets to the source then the sources influence can be diminished

Question 14

what did lateen and darley do?

Answer 14

that one lone person is more likely to help a man in need rather than a group
by standers

Question 15

which variations of mailgram can be applied here?

Answer 15

number 7 (immediacy)
number 13 (strength)

Question 16

what is a strength about the formula?

Answer 16

it can be generalised across cultures as the theory claims that all features are present in all groups

Question 17

why does the theory have application?

Answer 17

helps to show the factors involved in obeisance and therefore reducing them
formula also helps to predict future events

Question 18

why is the hotter more descriptive>

Answer 18

it does not explain why people are influenced by others only the factors that are involved in this influence

Question 19

why is the theory reductionist/incomplete?

Answer 19

does not take into account things such as individual differences and responses
some people may be more likely to obey
also people may switch between sources and target in different situations

Question 20

what was it originally designed to do?

Answer 20

explain the effects of others behaviour in social situations