SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND THEORIES (PART 2)

ALINA BINT-E-TAHIRSARAH SOHAILSALMAN RIZVI

TAUQEER RAZA

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE Discomfort caused by having two conflicting

ideas simultaneously Psychological phenomenon that is the

discomfort felt due to discrepancy between what a person already knows and believes and the new information he receives

Occurs whenever there is a need to accommodate new ideas http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/dissonance.htm http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/dissonance.htm

DISSONANCE Dissonance increases with:

The importance of the subject to us. How strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict. Our inability to rationalize and explain away the

conflict.

http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/cognitive_dissonance.htm

ELIMINATING COGNITIVE DISSONANCE1. Ignorance2. Changing Cognitions3. Alter the importance4. Adding or Creating new dissonance5. Most important is to prevent it from

happening in the first place http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/cognitive_dissonance/ http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/stephens/cdback.html

OUTCOME

ConvinceOR

Get Convinced

SOCIAL INFLUENCE THEORY According to Latané, social

forces influence people on the same way as light bulbs shine on a surface. 

The stronger the source, the greater the influence

The closer to the source, the greater its impact

 As the number of sources increase, so does their influence – at least to a point. http://weknowmore.org/blog/?p=712

Strength People with more importance

have greater influence than those with less importance. For instance, at work, a co-worker is less likely to get you to do something than your boss.

Immediacy Those nearby you are more

likely to influence you than those far away. An individual on the television screen is less likely to get you to do something than someone standing next to you.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5315252_theory-social-impact.html

Number: People succumb to peer pressure, and

the greater the number of people in the group, the more powerful the peer pressure is.

Changing Ideas: People are more likely to listen to

groups with authority. Thus, gaining more authority and getting a large group behind you is more likely to make you convincing.

Diminishing Returns: Though larger groups are more likely

to influence than smaller groups, this effect becomes less and less as the group grows.

LATANE’S REVISED MODEL, DYNAMIC SOCIAL IMPACT THEORY Identified four tendencies in group:

Consolidation: over time, the majority grows in size and the minority dwindles in size

Clustering: As the law of social impact suggests, people are more influenced by their closest neighbours, and so clusters of group members with similar opinions emerge in group. [dyads, triads)

http://home1.fvcc.edu/~rhalvers/Latanerevised.htm

Correlation: Over time the group members’ opinions on other issues, even one that are not discussed in the group, converge, so that their opinions on a variety of matters are correlated.

Continuing diversity: Because of clustering, members of minorities are often shielded from the influence attempts of the majority, and their beliefs continue on within the group.

INFORMATIONAL SOCIAL INFLUENCE Also called the Herding Effect People tend to follow the crowd without

examining the merits of a particular thing. Is a psychological phenomenon that occurs in

ambiguous social situations when people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behaviour.

We conform because we believe that others’ interpretation of an ambiguous situation is more correct than ours and will help us choose an appropriate course of action.

http://www.artofdrink.com/sensory/herding-effect-taste.php

WHEN WILL PEOPLE CONFORM TO INFORMATIONAL SOCIAL INFLUENCE?

1. When the Situation Is Ambiguous. Ambiguity is the most crucial variable in determining whether people use each other as a source of information.

2. When the Situation Is a Crisis.

Crisis situations leave us limited time to act, which may make us scared and panicky. If we turn to others who are also panicked for information, our own panic and irrationality may be intensified.

3. When Other People Are Experts.

The more expertise or knowledge someone has, the more people will turn to them as a guide in an ambiguous situation. Unfortunately experts are not always reliable sources of information.

EXAMPLES Whiten et al. (1999)

show that chimpanzees pass on new and innovative behaviors to each other through informational social influence,

Vodka: a paradox for Supertasters

Drink Bloggers  Aliens!http://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.cfm?term=Informa

tional%20Social%20Influencehttp://wps.prenhall.com/hss_aronson_socpsych_6/64/16428/4205685.cw/-/4205769/index.html

WHEN INFORMATIONAL CONFORMITY BACKFIRES  1938 Orson Welles War of the Worlds radio

broadcast Mass psychogenic illness, the occurrence,

in a group of people, of similar physical symptoms with no known physical cause. A recent case occurred in Tennessee in 1998

when a teacher and many students experienced a variety of symptoms that led to their being hospitalized and the school evacuated.

Such occurrences can spread more rapidly today than formerly because of instantaneously available media

http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_aronson_socpsych_6/64/16428/4205685.cw/-/4205769/index.html

NORMATIVE INFLUENCE Normative influence is social influence to

conform with the positive expectations of others (Deutsch & Gerard, 1955) LaTour and Manrai (1989): Blood donation

http://www.hi.com.au/psychology/pdf/HeinPsych1Ch7.pdf

When the Group Size is Three or More.

When the Group is Important.

When One Has No Allies in the Group

When the Group’s Culture is Collectivistic

The Effect of Low Self-Esteem.

Gender Differences in Conformityhttp://wps.prenhall.com/hss_aronson_socpsych_6/64/16428/420

5685.cw/-/4205769/index.html

EXAMPLES One-third of 12-13

year-old girls are actively trying to lose weight.

21 to 42 percent of young men have altered their eating habits to gain muscle mass or weight and 12 to 26 percent have dieted to reduce body fat or weight.

http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_aronson_socpsych_6/64/16428/4205685.cw/-/4205769/index.html

Women learn what standard is appropriate through informational social influence, but normative social influence helps explain their attempts to create the desired body through dieting and eating disorders.

Blood donation

http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_aronson_socpsych_6/64/16428/4205685.cw/-/4205769/index.html

SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY When we belong to a group,

we are likely to derive our sense of identity, at least in part, from that group.

We also enhance the sense of identity by making comparisons with out-groups.

Breakwell (1978) studied teenage soccer fans, some of whom went to most games, whilst others did not go to games.

Example: When travelling abroad http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/social_ide

ntity.htm

QUESTIONS1 Conformity isA always bad.B when one person is influenced by many, and goes along with the many.C when people are influenced by one other individual, and go along with that individual, because he or

she is an authority.D All of the above.

2 Obedience isA always bad.B when one person is influenced by many, and goes along with the many.C when people are influenced by one other individual, and go along with that individual, because he or

she is an authority.D All of the above.

3 Peer pressure isA conformity to people who are not important to us.B always bad.C obedience to authority.D social influence among equal status individuals.

4 Which of the following is correct?A Groups can influence people to become more risky in their behaviours.B Groups can influence people to become more cautious in their behaviours.C Groups lead people to become more extreme in their attitudes and behaviours in the direction they

were already leaning.D All of the above.

5 When a majority is no longer unanimousA conformity always decreases, but does not disappear.B conformity disappears.C conformity remains as high as it was when the group was unanimous.D conformity sometimes decreases, and sometimes does not.

6 When people conform to others because they are trying to meet the others’ expectations, this is called

A culture.B informational influence.C normative influence.D social proximity.

7 Which of the following is true in terms of the effects ofculture on conformity rates?A Culture has no effect at all on conformity because conformity is a very personal experience.B There are higher levels of conformity in the United States than in Japan.C There are higher rates of conformity in cultures that place more emphasis on groups.D There are higher rates of conformity in cultures that place more emphasis on individuals.

8 Obedience to an apparently malevolent authorityA decreases as the potential victim gets closer.B increases as the potential victim gets closer.C is unaffected by the closeness of the potential victim; all that matters is the authority’s legitimacy.D None of the above.

9 When people are in positions of high status and power,A they will always act for the benefit of all.B they will inevitably become tyrants.C they will not be influenced by their peers.D tyranny is not the only possible outcome.

10 Which of the following is not an essential ethical principle related to the conduct of research?A Ensuring participants are paid for their time.B Ensuring participants provide consent for their participation.C Having an independent committee evaluate the ethics of the research before it is conducted.D Treating participants with respect.