1. Foundations in Psychology
Social Influence
Dr. Fenja Ziegler

2. Change in Behaviour/ Attitude
Social Influence
Behaviour/ attitudes influenced by presence of others?
When? Why? How?
Conformity
Obedience
Implied
Explicit
Change in Behaviour/ Attitude

3. Norm Development Sherif, 1935
100 judgements in private: how far in inches?
Autokinetic effect (appears to oscillate)
Judgements with 2/ 3 others present
Converge away from individual to common standard= Social Norm
Pps deny being influenced by others

5. Norm Development Sherif, 1935
100 judgements in private: how far in inches?
Autokinetic effect (appears to oscillate)
Judgements with 2/ 3 others present
Converge away from individual to common standard= Social Norm
Pps deny being influenced by others

6. Uncertainty and Social Norms
Uncertainty and little information in tasks
Use a heuristic
Look for new source of information in difficult task → other people
Majority rule (democracy!)
Applies to attitudes or judgements in social context (real/ imaginary)
Influenced by those around us
Sherif: how group attitudes are formed

7. Asch, 1951
No Uncertainty – Group Norm?

8. Informational and Normative Deutsch & Gerard, 1955
Converge to group norm to gain information
Useful heuristic
Conversion public & private
Normative:
Gain acceptance and praise
Avoid punishment and exclusion
Compliance public
Explicit aim for group to be accurate (increase group pressure)
& ½ trials: lines disappear before judgement (increase uncertainty)
Increase in conformity

9. Compliance and Conversion
Uncertain own opinion
Difficult task
Little Info
Informational Influence
Private & Public Attitudes
Conversion:
Certain own opinion
Detailed info
Easy task
Normative Influence
Compliance: Change in public attitude only

10. Moderators of Normative Social Influence
Group cohesiveness
More cohesive, more conformity
Group size
2 is not a group, from 3, no change
Social Support
Correct or incorrect breaking of social consensus
Not if incompetent (e.g. thick glasses)

11. Moderators of Informational Influence
Perceived self-confidence
Task difficulty
Cultural norms (individualistic and collectivist)
Pendry & Carrick, 2001
Henry who is an Accountant
Henry who is a punk rocker

13. Moderators of Informational Influence
Perceived self-confidence
Task difficulty
Cultural norms (individualistic and collectivist)
Pendry & Carrick, 2001
Decreased conformity for Punk prime, then no prime, then Accountant
Henry who is an Accountant
Henry who is a punk rocker

14. Group Polarization Pressure to conform at group level
Can change social norm
Initial attitude becomes exaggerated
Normative influence:
Fit in with group → move towards group norm
Informational Influence:
Group as source of information
Encounter many arguments in favour of position → become more convinced

15. Extreme GP: Group Think
Excessive desire to achieve consensus:
Deterioration in mental efficiency, reality testing, moral judgement
Symptoms:
Increased conformity, overestimation of group competence, close-mindedness

16. 28 Jan 1986 Launch of Challenger7
cohesiveness (important/ high-profile project ) & Stress
conform to group norm: Launch
overconfident
close-minded

17. Minority Influence on Majority?

18. Minority Influence on Majority? Moscovici (1980)
Yes, if
Minority is consistent in behaviour
Not rigid and dogmatic
Committed ( can lead to conversion, i.e. private change)
Relevance to social trends
Do they know something we don’t know?
Majorities:
Social comparison → Compliance
Minorities:
Private conformity
Leads to better judgements
Avoid groupthink

19. Just following orders? Why follow orders you know are wrong? Theory:
Germans are different.
They are obedient.

20. Obedience to Authority

21. Incorrect answer = shock; increase by 15volts
Please continue,
The experiment requires you to continue, please go on.
It is essential that you continue.
You have no choice, you must continue.
Starts banging on the wall
Complains of heart condition
No further response

22. Obedience to Authority
Learner complains of pain
Pleads to be let out
Screams and refuses to answer

23. Explaining It all Cultural norm: obey authority
Gradual: from small shocks to lethal shocks over long period of time
Agency: no longer feel personally responsible

24. ♂ Gen Pop: 85%
♂ Students: 50%
Students: 62%
Students: 85%
♂ Gen Pop: 65%
♀ Gen Pop: 65%
Students: 85%
Gen Pop: 92%
Gen Pop: 80%
Students: over 90%
♂ Students: 40%
♀ Students: 16%

25. Influences on Obedience

26. Milgram’s (1963) findings Unethical (study or findings?)
All capable of following orders which we know are not the right thing to do
But, all participants were distraught whilst doing it
Educate on blind obedience
Take responsibility for own actions
Role models who refuse to obey
Question motives of authority issuing unreasonable orders

27. Obedience vs. Conformity
Occurs within a hierarchy
Feeling that the person above has the right to prescribe behaviour
Links one status to another
Emphasis is on power
Behaviour adopted differs from behaviour of authority figure
Prescription for action is explicit
Participants embrace obedience as explanation for behaviour
Regulates the behaviour among those of equal status
Emphasis is on acceptance
Behaviour adopted is similar to that of peers
Requirement of going along with group implicit
Participants deny conformity as an explanation for behaviour

28. references
reading
watching
AS level, Chapter 2