Social Impact Theory Flashcards
Bibb Latane - Social Impact theory - 1981
Bibb Latane - Social Impact theory - 1981
What is social impact theory?
Bibb latane developed social impact theory to describe how we behave in social force fields all impacting on each other through our ongoing interactions
What is the ‘source’ in social impact theory?
Source - the influencer/authority figure - people’s actions change the way we feel
What is the ‘target’ in social impact theory?
Target - the person being impacted on - how we feel affects how we act in response
What influences impact social impact theory?
Strength - how important the influencing group of people are to you
Immediacy - how close the group are to you at the time of the influence attempt
Number - how many people are there in the group
Evaluate social impact theory:
Evaluation
The multiplication effect - People will mirror what they see a large group so if no one interacts with a target it is unlikely someone else will
The divisional effect - A lone person is more likely to help someone in need compared to a group of people. There is a diffusion of responsibility similar to a divisional effect
Define Superordinate goals
Superordinate goals - a common goal 2 groups have and must work together to achieve
Define Inter-group
Inter-group - between two groups
Define Intra-group
Intragroup - Taking place within a group, especially within a social group.
Define Prejudice
Prejudice - the attitudes or thoughts someone has about a group of people on the bases of sex, race or social class
Define Discrimination
Discrimination - actively changing your behaviour towards a certain group of people
Define In-group
In-group - people you associate with
Define Out-group
Out-group - People you don’t relate to
Define Social categorization
Social categorization - categorizing self as a member of a group
Define Social Identification
Social Identification - adopting the norms of an in-group and identifying the difference between you and others
Define Social comparison
Social comparison - in-group favouritism and exaggeration of differences to favour your own group
Define Agentic state
Agentic state - someone who doesn’t feel responsible for their actions
Define Autonomous state
Autonomous state - someone who feels responsible for their actions
Define Validity
Validity - testing what you think your testing
Who created Social Impact Theory, and when?
Latane, 1981
What is are ‘Targets’, and what are ‘Sources’?
The target refers to the person being (socially) impacted on, and the source being the influencer
How does social impact depend on ‘Social Forces’?
The degree of social impact on a target depends on:
- Strength of the Source: determined by how much power, status or authority the target perceive the source to have
- Immediacy of the Source: the proximity/distance between the source and the target, presence of barriers between the source + target, and how recent the event occurred
- Number of Sources: how many sources are exerting influence on the target
What is the Multiplication Effect (for social impact theory)?
The greatest social impact occurs when there is a multiplication of all 3 factors
i = f (SIN
How does social impact depend on ‘Social Laws’?
The multiplication effect declines in certain social situations, due to ‘social laws’
e. g. 1: Social Impact will be less when the target is part of a large group, as the impact of the source will be divided between the group
e. g. 2: Although an increase in sources will result in an increases of obedience, the increase in obedience is not proportional (e.g. the 33rd source entering the room won’t cause 33x anxiety levels than 1 source.)
What are the Strengths of social impact theory as an explanation of obedience?
Milgram’s Studies: In his original study 65% gave 450v, which dropped to 22.5% in the telephonic conditions. This is due to the low proximity.
Practical Application: It can be used by leaders in society to ensure they achieve high levels of obedience- two leaders need to work together to talk to individuals in small groups (social engineering)
Complexity: It is a more complex explanation of how obedience works compared to agency theory, as it refers to status, proximity and number of authority figures. Agency theory only discusses status.
What are the Weaknesses of social impact theory as an explanation of obedience?
Reductionism: It oversimplifies the interaction between individuals- the ‘target’ is not always a passive receiver of command; and the ‘source’ may change their commands due to target influence.
Individual Differences: some ‘targets’ may have an authoritarian personality, making them more submissive to authority by harsh to those more subordinate
It explains how people are influenced, but not why. Agency theory explains why, saying its due to socialisation.
