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Questions and Answers
Who proposed social impact theory?
Who proposed social impact theory?
Latane, 1981
What is social impact theory?
What is social impact theory?
A model that conceives of influence from other people as being the result of social forces acting on individuals.
What are the 3 laws of behavior?
What are the 3 laws of behavior?
- Social Force 2. Psychosocial Law 3. Divisions of Impact
Explain the 3 laws of behavior.
Explain the 3 laws of behavior.
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What is the diffusion of responsibility?
What is the diffusion of responsibility?
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What is the light bulb effect?
What is the light bulb effect?
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What is the multiplier effect?
What is the multiplier effect?
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Why is the theory significant?
Why is the theory significant?
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Compare agency theory and social impact theory.
Compare agency theory and social impact theory.
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What are the strengths of social impact theory?
What are the strengths of social impact theory?
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Study Notes
Social Impact Theory Overview
- Proposed by Bibb Latané in 1981.
- Describes how social forces influence individual behavior, similar to physical forces affecting objects.
- Conformity and obedience increase with strengthening factors: strength, immediacy, and number of influencers.
Three Laws of Behavior
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Social Force: The pressure to change behavior; success leads to social impact. Influences include persuasion and threats.
- Formula: i = f(SIN) where S = Strength, I = Immediacy, N = Numbers.
- Strength: Credibility and authority of the influencer.
- Immediacy: Proximity and recency of the influence.
- Numbers: Greater number of influencers increases pressure.
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Psychosocial Law: The initial source of influence has the most significant impact; subsequent sources exert less influence (referred to as the "light bulb effect").
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Divisions of Impact: Social force gets dispersed among the target group. More targets result in less pressure on each individual, a concept known as diffusion of responsibility.
Key Concepts
- Diffusion of Responsibility: Larger groups reduce individual accountability and likelihood of obeying orders.
- Light Bulb Effect: The impact of adding additional sources of influence diminishes as more are added.
- Multiplier Effect: Higher strength, immediacy, and number collectively lead to greater social impact.
Theoretical Significance
- Underlies Milgram's obedience study, crucial for understanding social influence.
- Expands on Social Identity Theory, introducing in-group and out-group dynamics.
- Highlights the influence of social pressures on seemingly personal decisions.
- Provides insights into prejudice and its reduction within social psychology.
Comparative Analysis
- Agency Theory: Focuses on obedience; explains why we obey authority without exploring broader contexts.
- Social Impact Theory: Addresses obedience within group dynamics and explains variability in obedience while overlooking individual situational differences.
Strengths of the Theory
- Utilization of a mathematical equation lends objectivity and allows for valid predictions concerning social impact.
- Model effectively predicts behavior under specific conditions; observable in real-life scenarios.
- Experimental evidence supports the influence of strength, immediacy, and number on behavior.
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Description
Explore the foundational concepts of Social Impact Theory proposed by Bibb Latané. This quiz delves into how social forces influence individual behavior and the key laws governing these interactions. Understand factors like strength, immediacy, and number of influencers that affect conformity and obedience.
