Social Impact Theory ( Latane 1981)

Question 1

Social Impact Theory

Answer 1

is a theory of social impact that can be used to explain why people are obedient.

Question 2

The Source

Answer 2

The Influencer

Question 3

The Target

Answer 3

The person being influenced

Question 4

Stength of the source
I
N

Answer 4

How important the source is to the target ( status, authority, age)

Question 5

S
Immediacy
N

Answer 5

How close the target is to the source at the time of the influence attempt ( face to face is more of an impact compared to texts/calls.

Question 6

S
I
Number

Answer 6

How many people there are in the social situation

Question 7

S x I x N

Answer 7

multiplicative effect.

Question 8

Psychosocial Law - number

Answer 8

Increasing the number of sources increases their impact upon the target. However, the effect of increasing number of sources from 2 to 3 is greater than the effect of increasing the number of sources from 8 to 9. The effect levels off

Question 9

AO3

Generalisability

Answer 9

Evidence for Strength: obedience was much higher in Milgram’s original study. when the experimenter was wearing a lab coat( 65 %), compared to in the variation studies, Experiment 13, when the experimenter as wearing ordinary clothes 20%, demonstrating how the strength of the source effects obedience.

Question 10

Conflicting evidence

Answer 10

As the studies used lab experiments they lack ecological validity ( environment ) due to the artificial environment of Yale.

Question 11

Other explanations

Answer 11

There are other theories such as agency theory ( agentic state) . These theories make social impact theory less powerful as an explanation for obedience.

Question 11

Usefulness

Answer 11

The theory can help us explain obedience in real life atrocities such as the holocaust. The Nazi soldiers ( the target ) obeyed Hitler ( the source ) because they were strong ( uniform, powerful authority figures with high status) in a large number with high immediacy.

Question 12

Testability

Answer 12

The theory is quantifiable in that principles can be observed in everyday behaviour. Research is conformity obedience ( Milgram) and bystander behaviour( diffusion of responsibility ) ( Latane) have all demonstrated the impact of strength, immediacy and number on human responses in social situations.