Chapter 7: Social Influence

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Chapter 7 Social Influence

• Dr. M. Davis-Brantley

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Social Influence

• Why we behave the way we choose to behave
• Social Norms Social Conformity
• Ex Walking on the street in the nude
• Social influence is the area of social psychology
  that studies the ways in which people influence
  the thoughts feelings and behavior of other
  people

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Persuasion

• How are individuals persuaded to alter their
  behaviors thoughts feelings beliefs etc
• Emotional Appeal a type of persuasive
  communication that influences behavior on the
  basis of feelings that are aroused instead of
  rational analysis of the issues
• Ex Clergymen to the congregation
• Book Ex Jonathan Edwards famous sermon Sinners
  in the Hands of an Angry God (Fear)
• Fear of dying or aging in advertisements

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Persuasion

• Two primary ways to use persuasion to get others
  to change their behaviors or beliefs
• Central Route is a route of persuasion that
  stimulates thoughtful consideration of the
  arguments and the evidence
• Peripheral Route is a route to persuading others
  that associates objects with positive or negative
  cues
• Ex AdvertisingLebron James Thirst (Sprite)
  The Geico Gecko what else
• All beef patties special sauce special cheese
  pickles onions on a sesame seed bun (Big Mac)

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Persuasion

• Effects of familiarity and repetition
• Researchers found that repeated exposure to
  images people etc enhances their appeal
• The more complex the stimuli the more likely it
  is that frequent exposure will have favorable
  effects

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Persuasive Communication

• Who do we trust and why
• Persuasive communicators are characterized by
  expertise trustworthiness attractiveness or
  similarity to their audiences
• Ex Doctors athletes models etc

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Persuasive Communication

• What happens when we hear something that
  conflicts with our beliefs
• Selective avoidance is when one diverts her/his
  attention from information that is inconsistent
  with ones attitudes
• Selective exposure is deliberately seeking and
  attending to information that is consistent with
  ones attitude

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Persuasive Techniques

• Good moodimportant because we are less likely to
  examine information carefully when we are feeling
  good
• Foot-in-the-door technique a method used for
  inducing compliance in which a small request is
  followed by a larger request
• Telemarketers Just a few minutes
• Low-balling a method in which extremely
  attractive terms are offered to induce a person
  to make a commitment. Once a commitment is made
  the terms are revised

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Obedience and Authority

• Why are soldiers able to follow orders without
  question even to the point where they can kill
  others
• Psychologist Stanley Milgram (Yale 1963)
  attempted to find out

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Milgram Experiment (1963)

• Study on the effects of punishment on learning
• Enlisted 40 men aged 20-50 years old
• Teachers engineers laborers etc
• Thought they were participating in a study on
  learning and memory

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Milgram Experiment (1963)

• Each experiment was composed of a teacher and a
  learner
• The learner was strapped into a chair as part
  of the experiment and often would object
• The teacher (participant) would enter another
  area of the room where they wouldnt be able to
  see the learner
• In this room was an Aggression Machine with
  sophisticated gadgets and turn knobs marked with
  15 to 450 volts
• Labels described 28 of 30 knobs from Slight
  Shock to Danger Severe Shock
• The last 2 levers were simply labeled XXX
• So that the teacher would know how the electric
  shock felt the scientist would give the
  participant (teacher) a sample 45 volt shock

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Milgram Experiment (1963)

• The Aggression Machine was used to punish the
  learner if he did not complete the task properly
• The learners task was to learn a pair of words
• The teacher would read pairs of words
• After hearing the list once the learner would
  have to produce the word that was paired with the
  stimulus word
• He would do so by pressing a switch that would
  signify his choice from a list of four
  alternatives
• If the answer was correct the learner could move
  on to the next task
• If the answer was incorrect the teacher would
  administer a shock to the learner

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Milgram Experiment (1963)

• The teacher was told that the shocks would not
  cause any permanent tissue damage although it
  would be extremely painful
• The learner would answer questions correctly
  initially however when they would get some
  wrong the teacher would administer mild shock
  with mild concern
• The learner would continue to make mistakes and
  would continue to be shocked at increased levels
• The teacher would look to the experimenter and
  the experimenter would tell the participant to
  continue on and inform them that the experiment
  requires them to move on
• At 300 volts the learner would pound and yell and
  the teacher was told to continue
• At some point the learner would stop answering
  and just scream and the teacher was told to
  continue

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Milgram Experiment (1963)

• Milgram found that although the participants were
  disconcerted he discovered that most of them
  would continue to comply and go beyond 300 volts
• Only 5 men refused to continue on
• Milgram was able to replicate the experiment with
  college students and women
• FYI the teachers did not actually shock a learner
  it was completely simulated and the learner was
  just a confederate (researcher)

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Milgram Experiment (1963)

• Why was this able to happen
• Propaganda where people to be victimized are
  often degraded as being subhuman (Nazi)
• Socialization-people are socialized from early
  childhood to obey authority figures
• Lack of Social Comparison-inability to compare
  yourself to the victim
• Perception of Legitimate Authority-influence of
  the reputation and authority of the setting
• Foot-in-the-door technique-once the person
  started participating may have found it
  progressively difficult to pull out of the
  situation

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Conformity

• To Conform is to change ones attitudes or
  behaviors to adhere to social norms
• Social Norms are explicit and implicit rules that
  reflect social expectations and influence the
  ways people behave in social situations
• Explicit rules include those that are often
  turned into rules and laws such as whispering in
  a library
• Implicit rules are those that are unspoken such
  as facing the front of the elevator after we
  enter it and being fashionably late to a party

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Conformity Asch Study

• Solomon Asch (1952) studied conformity
• Recruited individuals who thought they were
  participating in a study of visual discrimination
• Subjects were placed in a room with 7 other
  subjects
• There are 2 cards with lines on them
• Chart A One Line
• Chart B Three Lines (one of equal length to the
  line on Chart A)
• 75 of participants agreed with the majorities
  wrong answer at least once

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Factors that influence conformity

• Belonging to collectivist rather than an
  individualistic society
• Desire to be liked by other members of the group
• Low self-esteem
• Social shyness
• Lack of familiarity with the task

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Deindividuation

• The process by which group members may
  discontinue self-evaluation and adopt group norms
  and attitudes
• Factors that lead to deindividuation include
• Anonymity diffusion of responsibility arousal
  due to noise and crowding and focus on emerging
  group norms rather than own values
• Ex Angry Mobs

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Altruism and Helping Behavior

• Altruism is the unselfish concern for the welfare
  of others
• Exist among all animals and most humans
• Humans have been known to sacrifice their
  well-being for the survival of others (children)
• Primates have been known to suicidally attack a
  leopard to give the others the opportunity to
  escape
• On the other hand Bystander Effect is the
  tendency to stand by and do nothing when others
  are in need
• Ex Kitty Genovese

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Altruism and Helping Behavior

• What determines likelihood we will help those in
  need
• Good mood
• Empathythose who feel the distress of others or
  feel concern for them
• If there is the belief that an emergency exists
• Responsibility