Social Impact Theory Overview

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

• 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.

• Psychosocial Law: The initial source of influence has the most significant impact; subsequent sources exert less influence (referred to as the "light bulb effect").

• 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.