Unraveling the Threads of Social Influence: How Others Shape Our Choices
Social influence is a powerful force that can shape our decisions, attitudes, and behaviors. It is the process of being influenced by the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others. Social influence can be positive or negative, and it can take many different forms.
The Mechanisms of Social Influence :
A few crucial processes that can quietly or blatantly impact our judgments are at the core of social influence. These processes shed light on why we frequently make decisions that are in line with those of our peers:
1. Conformity:- People naturally want to fit in and be accepted. Conformity is a potent mechanism fueled by this need for approval. It is the act of changing one's behavior or views to match those of a group. Solomon Asch's well-known conformity tests from the 1950s notably showed how people will offer false answers to fit the group consensus even when they knew the true answer.
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| Conformity to a group norm: people wearing same clothes |
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| Conformity to an authority figure: raising hand in class even though not knowing the answer |
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| Conformity to societal norms: a person conforming to expectations of their culture, such as sari or hijab |
Obedience:- People are more likely to obey someone they perceive as having authority, even if the commands are against their own personal principles. This is because we are wired to obey authority figures, and we often defer to their judgment, even when we disagree with them. The Milgram experiment is a classic study in social psychology that has been replicated many times. The results of the experiment have been used to explain why people obey authority figures, even when they are asked to do things that are harmful or immoral. The Milgram experiment is a reminder that we should all be aware of the power of obedience. We should be critical of authority figures and be willing to question their commands, especially if they conflict with our own personal principles.
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| A citizen obeying the laws |
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| A soldier following orders from his superior officer |
Compliance:- Compliance is the act of changing one's conduct to satisfy an expectation or request from another person. This may be influenced by things like societal norms, authority, or reciprocity. The Milgram experiment demonstrated how much compliance may affect behavior when subjects were coerced into giving potentially damaging shocks.
Read more about it from Top 10 Compliance Books
Here are some examples:
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| Following the instruction of a doctor |
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| A person signing a document following instruction of a doctor |
Informational social influence:- When we are unsure about a problem, we frequently seek advice from others. This is referred to as informational social influence. We presume that if the majority believes something, it is most likely right. This process is most noticeable when precise information is sparse.
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| Seeking information from media: Books |
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Seeking information from others: People discussing a topic |
Normative Social Influence:- The desire to be liked or accepted is the source of normative social influence. It forces us to adhere to societal standard expectations, even if we don't agree with them. Under this system, our decisions might be heavily influenced by our fear of rejection or social isolation.
For more information read Understanding Conformity: Normative Vs. Informational Social Influence
Here are some examples to show:
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| Conforming to group norm: Laughing at a joke even though they don't find it funny |
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| Conforming to group norm along with the majority: Changing opinion after hearing the opinion of a majority group |
Great!!!....Kudos for such an brief and good article which explains how social influence works in a way that's easy to understand and how they affect our choices....it piques an interest to look deep into this subject.
ReplyDeleteGreat insights on the power of social influence!! Nicely explained!!
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