Social Influence Concepts and Models

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Questions and Answers

What defines obedience in the context of social influence?

Change in behaviour due to peer pressure

Adapting one's beliefs to fit a group norm

Change in behaviour as a response to authority orders (correct)

Unconscious response to a social situational factor

Which statement best describes the central route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model?

It requires minimal effort and time to process information.

It involves careful consideration of all available information. (correct)

It focuses on the overall emotional appeal of a message.

It relies on quick thinking and heuristics.

What is a typical characteristic of the peripheral route in social influence?

Decision-making based on heuristics. (correct)

Long-lasting changes in attitudes.

Dependence on cognitive abilities.

Utilization of systematic reasoning.

In Asher's line study, what phenomenon does it primarily investigate?

The impact of group dynamics on conformity Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies the peripheral route to persuasion?

A person buys a product simply because a celebrity endorsed it. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main strategy behind the low-ball tactic?

Promising good value initially but omitting additional costs later Signup and view all the answers

How does social validation primarily influence behavior?

By leading individuals to conform based on the behavior of others Signup and view all the answers

In which scenario is the bait and switch tactic most likely to be effective?

When a customer has already committed to a deal Signup and view all the answers

What type of individuals are more likely to comply with strategies based on social validation?

Collectivist individuals or those with collectivist personalities Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes the difference in compliance between collectivist and individualist personalities?

Collectivists show higher compliance rates when social validation is emphasized Signup and view all the answers

Which effect describes the tendency to assume physically attractive people possess other positive qualities?

Halo Effect Signup and view all the answers

What effect does sharing a birthday have on compliance?

It increases the likelihood of compliance. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key factors that increases liking according to the contact and cooperation heuristic?

Repeated exposure Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following tactics can lead to larger donations?

The echo effect. Signup and view all the answers

How does physical attractiveness influence job hiring decisions?

More attractive individuals are more likely to be hired. Signup and view all the answers

What concept explains the unconscious mimicry of others' behaviors?

The chameleon effect. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of liking, which heuristic suggests that people may favor individuals they are often exposed to?

Familiarity Principle Signup and view all the answers

What is a result of conditioning and association in marketing strategies?

Positive associations with attractive individuals can enhance product credibility. Signup and view all the answers

How does a higher level of conscientiousness affect a person's reaction to consistency?

It makes them more affected by consistency. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the foot-in-the-door tactic?

To pressure the person into compliance after a small request. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the relationship between liking and similarity?

Similarity creates an instant bond between individuals. Signup and view all the answers

What does the chameleon effect smooth over?

Social relationships. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement reflects the impact of attractiveness on perceived expertise?

Attractiveness can falsely enhance perceptions of expertise. Signup and view all the answers

How does similarity affect charitable donations?

It increases willingness to donate when similarities are believed. Signup and view all the answers

According to research on attractiveness, more attractive students are perceived as having which of the following?

Brighter futures Signup and view all the answers

What is a requirement for the effectiveness of the chameleon effect?

The person must be unaware of the mimicry. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason people defer to authority figures in ambiguous situations?

They interpret the authority as an expert Signup and view all the answers

How does the principle of scarcity influence people's behavior?

Creates a desire to obtain items perceived as limited Signup and view all the answers

What effect does reciprocity have on individuals when they receive an unsolicited favor?

They feel compelled to reciprocate, regardless of their relationship Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during the 'door in the face' tactic?

A big request is rejected, followed by a smaller, accepted request Signup and view all the answers

How do collectivist cultures typically respond to favors as compared to individualistic cultures?

They have a higher sense of indebtedness and obligation Signup and view all the answers

What role do heuristics play in the process of manipulation?

They eliminate independent thinking Signup and view all the answers

Why might a person feel more indebted to a stranger who helps them than to a friend?

Friends are seen as obligated to help, while strangers are not Signup and view all the answers

What outcome was observed in the Regan (1971) study related to reciprocity?

Participants bought more raffle tickets after receiving a free Coke Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social influence is the effect of words, actions or the presence of others on attitudes, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Change in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors due to the behavior or existence of others.
Conformity is the change in one's behavior due to the real or imagined influence of others. Ash's line study demonstrates this.
Obedience is the change in behavior in response to a direct order from authority. Milgram's electric shock experiment exemplifies this.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Two ways to process social influence:
- Central Route: Information is thoroughly considered, requiring sufficient time and objective information. Critical thinking, a person's motivation, ability, and opportunity to consider information, are key. Attitude changes are more lasting and behavior is more predictable.
- Peripheral Route: Utilizing heuristics (rules of thumb), quick thinking, common responses and automatic reactions. This leads to less lasting attitude changes.

Peripheral Route (Langer et al., 1978)

People quickly comply when presented with a reason, regardless of validity. This tactic is 94% effective.

Tactics of Manipulation

Manipulation relies on heuristics (mental shortcuts).
People respond automatically without much consideration when familiar with a stimulus.
Manipulation aims to influence attitudes.

Tactic of Manipulation 1: Authority

When someone is perceived as an expert, it's easier to manipulate them.
People defer to experts for guidance, especially in ambiguous situations.
Experts don't need to actually have real authority for this to work

Tactic of Manipulation 2: Scarcity

Perceived scarcity makes things more desirable.
A limited supply increases desirability.
"Closing down sales" and limited time offers exemplify the tactic.

Tactic of Manipulation 3: Reciprocity

People feel obligated to repay gifts or favors.
Regan (1971) study showed how offering a free drink led to a marked increase in raffle ticket purchases.
Returning a favor makes people feel indebted.
Cultural difference is a factor, collectivist cultures emphasize indebtedness more, leading to more compliance.

Tactic of Manipulation 4: Reciprocity and Concessions (Door-in-the-Face)

A large, initially rejected request is followed by a smaller, more acceptable request, increasing compliance.

Tactic of Manipulation 5: Liking

People tend to favorably react and comply with people they know and like.
Liking someone increases compliance.

Liking Heuristic Mental Shortcuts

Contact and Cooperation: Increased interaction and cooperation fosters liking. Repeated exposure increases liking.
Conditioning and Association: Conditioning associates people or objects with positive attributes increasing liking.

Tactic of Manipulation 6: Liking: Physical Attractiveness (Halo Effect)

People perceive attractive individuals as having positive traits, including expertise, trustworthiness, intelligence, and social skills. This bias is automatic.

Tactic of Manipulation 7: Liking: Physical Attractiveness: Conditioning and Association

There's a positive correlation between attractiveness and perceived expertise and trustworthiness. Attractive people in advertisements increase persuasiveness and belief in the message.

Tactic of Manipulation 8: Liking: Similarities

People who share similar characteristics often foster instant bonds.
Shared variables like age, education, or even birthdays can increase liking and compliance.

Tactic of Manipulation 9: Liking: Similarity—The Chameleon Effect

Unconscious mimicry of postures, mannerisms, expressions, and other behaviors is a way to build rapport.
Mimicking increases social interaction and rapport, making people appear friendly and likeable. The mimicry needs to be unnoticed.

Tactic of Manipulation 10: Liking, Similarity—The Echo Effect

Mirroring a person's speech or paraphrasing their words creates a sense of connection and increases compliance by building rapport .

Tactic of Manipulation 11: Consistency and Commitment

People strive to maintain consistency between their actions and words.
Maintaining consistency is valued, and inconsistency is seen negatively.
Behavior and consistency of belief has a significant effect on our attitudes.

Tactic of Manipulation 12: Consistency and Commitment—Foot-in-the-Door Tactic

Gaining compliance through a series of small requests, gradually escalating to larger ones, creates an obligation to comply with subsequent requests.
The person agrees to the small request leading to obligation through consistency.

Tactic of Manipulation 13: Consistency and Commitment—Low-Ball Tactic

Initial attractive offer is followed by hidden additional costs. People are more likely to comply when initially presented with a seemingly good deal.

Tactic of Manipulation 14: Consistency and Commitment—Bait and Switch

Appealing offer for a product is then unavailable. Customers are then encouraged to purchase a different, potentially more expensive/inferior, product.

People look to others for guidance on how to think, act and feel. The actions of others justify our own decisions and behaviors.

Behaviors are more likely when there is evidence that others are already performing them, and especially if there are tangible signs of popularity/success, such as "best-sellers", or likes on a social platform).

Social validation is enhanced when the model for the behavior is similar to the target.

Tactic of Manipulation 17: Cultural Differences

Collectivist cultures typically value social validation more compared to their individualistic counterparts, thus complying more readily to requests utilizing social validation. Cultural style, regardless of a given culture, is a stronger indicator of compliance.

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Description

Explore the fundamental ideas of social influence, including conformity and obedience, and how they are illustrated through studies like Ash's and Milgram's experiments. Understand the Elaboration Likelihood Model and its two routes for processing information—central and peripheral. This quiz will test your knowledge on these psychological principles.