Learn about the social influence theory and the social influence model. See social influence examples and find out key points of the social influence model.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Social Influence in Psychology | Definition, Theory & Principles
Table of Contents
- Social Influence Definition in Psychology
- Social Influence Theory
- Social influence Examples
- Key Principles of the Social Influence Model
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
What does social influence mean?
The Social Influence Theory defines that we are more likely to conform or follow the actions of others that we admire. We tend to believe in the people with high social influences and listen to what they have to say.
What are some examples of social influences?
Social influences can be personal or professional, online or offline, and they can even be fleeting. The most influential social influences are those that affect us on a day-to-day basis through the people we interact with. These interactions can range from family members to coworkers to friends, and each of these individuals has the power to influence someone's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in some way.
What is not an example of a social influence?
Social influence theory posits that people's morality and decisions can be altered based on their environment and who surrounds them. An example of someone not taking part in being socially influenced would be someone who makes an autonomous decision, completely separated from the opinions, morality, thoughts, and emotions of the group. Even if this person makes the same decision the group makes, this individual arrived at the decision completely separate from the influence of the people surrounding them, using only their own reasoning, morality, and emotions.
What are the three social influences?
There are three levels of social influence theory analysis recognized by sociologists. These are: social institutions, interactions with other people, and individual socialization.
Who created the social influence theory?
There have been many influences throughout history who have added to the concept of social influence theory. One of the most prominent influences in the development of social influence theory in the 20th century is Robert. B. Cialdini.
Table of Contents
- Social Influence Definition in Psychology
- Social Influence Theory
- Social influence Examples
- Key Principles of the Social Influence Model
- Lesson Summary
Social influence theory is a theory in psychology that talks about how people are more likely to do whatever they see as being the norm. It states that people have a tendency to change their behavior according to those around them, and those nearby have stronger effects than those further away.
It also states that first impressions are very important and can alter a person's perception of someone or something which creates a snowball effect on decision-making. For example, a person may not even know why they have certain opinions. It could be because an individual with a higher social standing around an individual has influenced the individual without the individual's knowledge.
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Social influence can be divided into two categories: conformity and compliance.
Conformity is when an individual yields to the pressure of the group to behave, believe or say things that are different from their own true beliefs.
Compliance is when an individual yields to the wishes of others in order to avoid unpleasant consequences, such as punishments or rewards for example.
Scholars have been discussing social influence for centuries. Social influence theory's historical development started in 1790s when James Mill published The History of British India. He suggested that human beings are motivated to obey the commands of others because they want to reach their goals without any obstacles. This theory was later adapted by Burrhus Frederic Skinner in the 1920s to explain how punishment and reward can shape behavior.
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Robert Cialdini's book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion discusses the importance of social influence in a person's daily life. Cialdini defines socialization as the process whereby an individual takes on the appropriate customs and beliefs of their society or culture. The process of socialization starts with family, schools, peers, and society in general to shape our opinions on how a person should act.
Individual Socialization
Individual socialization describes the process of learning about one's self and society through interactions with other people in one's environment. This includes learning how to behave appropriately in public through parental instruction at home or being taught by being on the playground with friends.
There are many examples of this that have been studied through empirical research. For example, Cialdini's study on conformity discusses how individuals will conform to others in a group because they want to fit in with them.
Social Institutions
Social institutions are institutions that are influential in shaping society. They can be made up of individuals, organizations, or both. The institutions shape society by creating social norms and protocols. Such institutions include educational institutions, religious institutions, and governmental institutions.
Educational institutions refer to any establishment where people learn about the world around them and the skills they need to function in it. These could include schools, universities, libraries, museums, and other educational facilities. Religious institutions are any organization or individual whose beliefs teach others how they should behave in this world and prepare for the afterlife. A governmental institution is any type of organization that has authority over citizens within its territory.
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is the process of communicating with people outside of a person's immediate sphere. In this way, a person can learn from them about new ideas or practices that they were uneducated on before.
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Interpersonal communication can be seen as one of three key sources of social influence theory. Communication at its most basic level is a social process that makes it easy for people to share information and experiences with one another. People are able to use interpersonal communication in many different ways- either directly or indirectly, openly or covertly, positively or negatively.
Communication has been proven as one source of persuasion within social influence theory- often times more persuasive than any other source. Meaningful interpersonal communication can have a huge impact on the way people think and act.
In the last few decades, the concept of interpersonal communication has been altered from a linear model to a non-linear one. This means that the relationships between people and groups are not just a one-way street, but that people can have an impact on each other.
People have a great influence on each other through verbal and nonverbal communication. The way they communicate can affect how an individual feels about themselves, for example being complimented makes them feel more confident. They may also feel as if they are accepted by others and like they belong in their group of friends or at their place of work. People also influence others by giving advice or encouraging them to do something specific such as go for an interview, take up a hobby, etc.
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The reciprocity principle is at the heart of social influence. It states that people are more likely to be persuaded by an argument or request if they've already given it to someone who has asked for something in the past.
Put more simply, reciprocity is the act of repaying something with something of similar value. It can be applied to social interactions as well, and it is often an important factor in influencing people to comply with requests.
Below are some examples of reciprocity in everyday life:
- The free sample at the grocery store entices shoppers to buy more items by offering them a taste at no cost.
- New car dealerships offer buyers their first service for free, which makes them more likely to purchase that service again down the road because they already got one for free.
- A restaurant may give an appetizer or dessert on the house, which makes people want to come back and dine there again in the future.
Another example of the social influence theory in action is found in social proofing. The most common social proofing methods are positive feedback, testimonials, and expert opinions.
Some examples of social proofing include:
- Laughing because a friend is laughing (wanting to share a sense of humor).
- The Bystander Effect: this happens when bystanders do not try to help someone in need because each individual feels as though others will step up to help instead.
- Taking a selfie at a famous landmark or concert (even if the individual does not like selfies) because everyone else is doing it.
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There are several key principles to the social influence model.
The Reciprocity Principle
In the social influence theory model, reciprocity is a process in which a person responds to a positive action with another positive action and responds to a negative action with another negative one. In this model, this process is mostly seen when people respond to favors. More specifically, people feel more obligated to give back when they receive something from someone and they will want to help that person out in the future.
Commitment
The commitment principle is the tendency for people to increase their level of commitment to a decision or opinion when that decision or opinion has been public. This principle explains the idea that people will feel more committed to an idea if they have done something concrete in relation to it. It has been found that this makes them more likely to continue with their action and less likely to change their mind about it.
The commitment principle is based on the idea that people strive for consistency between their thoughts, words, and actions. Once a person has made a decision or taken action, they will seek to make themselves consistent with their thoughts and actions. This means that they will seek to behave in accordance with what they have already done.
Consistency
The consistency principle is a psychological phenomenon where people will change their beliefs, attitudes and behaviors to be consistent with what they have done in the past. In social psychology, it is one of the most influential principles that guide people's thoughts and behavior. The consistency principle states that if a person says or does something or has a certain attitude, then they will be more likely to say or do the same thing again in the future.
This principle is very important because it helps to predict how someone may behave in different situations. For example, if someone chooses to drink alcohol today, one can assume that this person will be more likely to drink alcohol again tomorrow.
Liking
The liking principle is one of the most influential factors in the social influence theory model. It states that people are more inclined to comply with others' requests when they like the person who is making the request.
The liking principle is not just based on how someone looks or acts, but also on how much you think they like you. It's an important factor because it can increase the chances that somebody will become persuaded by your point of view if they feel that you like them and care about them.
Authority
The authority principle in the social influence theory model states that people will be most persuaded by others who are perceived to have expertise, status, power, or trustworthiness.
The authority principle is the key idea in social psychology that people will generally obey authority figures while ignoring other authorities. This can be seen in many different ways for instance, while we may question our doctor about a certain diagnosis because they are not a doctor in the field, a person would still follow their orders because they are an authority figure within the hospital.
Social Proof
Social proof theory explains the underlying reasons for why humans are so influenced by what other people are doing. The social proof principle is a persuasion technique that aims to increase the likelihood of a particular behavior or action by demonstrating that many others are doing the same.
Through this persuasive technique, marketers can use people's natural tendency to follow the crowd when making purchase decisions. They show the proof in form of testimonials, ratings and reviews in order to increase their chances in persuading people.
Scarcity
The scarcity principle is a simple cognitive bias that is often used in marketing as it only takes one item to be scarce for people to want it.
The scarcity principle, as described by Robert Cialdini, is a cognitive bias which is often used in marketing. The scarcity effect works by convincing the viewer there is a limited supply of something and thus can create a sense of urgency and want for the product.
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Social influence theory is the idea that people are heavily influenced by the thoughts and actions of others. This theory is usually applied in realms of persuasion, influencing large groups or influencing behavior over time. The basic concept of social influence theory is that when people see someone else do something, they believe there is a reason and justification for it. This makes it easier for them to adopt the same behavior and belief system. There are three levels of social influence theory analysis recognized by sociologists. These are: social institutions, interactions with other people, and individual socialization.
There are several different theories that branched from social influence theory. These include, but are not limited to, social proofing, the reciprocity principle, and the authority principle. Social proofing is a theory that explains people's preference for information that supports their beliefs. Social proofing is often seen as a form of conformity, as it promotes imitation of behaviors in others. According to the reciprocity principle, people are more apt to help others who have helped them in the past. It is a form of social obligation. Lastly, the authority principle is the phenomenon which explains that people are more likely to obey someone who they deem to have authority. For example, if there is a medical emergency, people are more likely to trust the word of a doctor and do as the doctor says in that situation.
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Video Transcript
Sources of Social Influence
Taking a broad perspective, we can think of social influences at the three levels of analysis recognized by sociologists. In a nutshell, people are influenced in many different ways by:
- Social institutions: Organized religions, political parties, and labor unions are social institutions that influence our attitudes, beliefs, values, and behavior
- Interactions with other people: The people we interact with, at home, at work, or at play
- Individual socialization: Beginning in infancy, the process by which we are inducted into a culture or a society.
Individuals are as unique as fingerprints. Nevertheless, the degree to which people are open to social influence depends on how they are socialized. The language we speak, the ideas we hold to be true, and all the ways we are likely to behave are products of socialization.
Automated Behaviors
From the perspective of social psychology, the work of Robert B. Cialdini stands out. Professor Cialdini is an emeritus professor at the University of Arizona and a past president of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology. His engaging, often amusing approach to social influence has captured the imaginations of countless undergraduate college students. What follows is a sampling of his key insights.
We can begin with the understanding that, to an amazing extent, our behaviors, ideas, and beliefs are automated. Put another way, an awful lot of what we do, what we say, and what we believe is a product of habit. We internalize all kinds of habitual, virtually automatic behavior that's similar to a reflex response to a physical stimulus. For example, if the doctor taps near your kneecap with a little rubber hammer, you'll exhibit a knee-jerk reaction. In a similar way, humans will react automatically, and often unconsciously, to social stimuli.
If you are a classical behavioral psychologist, you'll view automated reflexive behaviors as responses to conditioned stimuli. Recall Pavlov's experiments. By associating the ringing of a bell with servings of meat powder, he could condition the dog to salivate simply by ringing the bell. For his part, Cialdini uses the metaphor of internal 'tapes.' Once a stimulus-response pattern is 'stored' in the mind, it will be activated by an appropriate trigger. We'll explore several of these 'tapes' and their triggers in this lesson.
Principles of Social Influence
To set the stage for his insights into social influence, Cialdini borrows a comment from Walter Lippmann, one of the founders of modern public relations: 'Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.'
The Reciprocity Principle
You scratch my back, and I'll scratch your back. That aphorism helps us think about the reciprocity principle. It's a principle found in every culture. In fact, Richard Leakey, a much-respected paleoanthropologist, maintains that the reciprocity principle is an essential human trait that helps us sustain ideals of sharing and cooperation within social groups.
On the dark side, the rule of reciprocity can be used to manipulate behavior. For example, companies provide free samples to potential buyers. Often enough, that may encourage a person to buy Product X - under the social rule of reciprocity. Further, to the extent that reciprocity rules in market economics, people may be encouraged to assume more debt that they can manage. In social situations, you may feel you should invite Jake to your brother's birthday party, even though you don't really like him, simply because he invited you to his mom's retirement party.
Commitment and Consistency
Cialdini refers to the commitment and consistency principles as hobgoblins of the mind. Here are examples of both of these principles that illustrate his point. Let's look at these principles separately.
Commitment
If your friend can get you take a stand on something like, say, supporting charter schools, you will have made a commitment. That may be the case even though you actually agreed to be a proponent of charter schools because you want this person to like you. Nevertheless, when you attend a debate on the charter school issue, you'll feel compelled to voice your approval of charter schools over public schools - even if your friend isn't present at the debate.
Consistency
Think again about the example we just cited. In ordinary, day-to-day life, we are generally rewarded for being consistent. For example, if you generally argue in favor of lower taxes, you'll feel uncomfortable arguing for higher taxes, even if you sense at some level that some common need, such as improved roads, might justify higher taxes. To appear consistent to your peers and family, you'll argue for your low-tax position come hell or high water.
So, you can see commitment and consistency are often strongly related. Both are hobgoblins of the mind because they motivate foolish consistency on the one hand and foolish commitment on the other hand.
Social Proof
If you're inclined to smoke cigarettes, you'll feel encouraged to smoke if you admire advertisements featuring the Marlboro Man. If you would like to get your ears pierced, you may feel justified in your choice because popular girls at your high school have pierced ears. In both cases, we see behavioral choices justified on the basis of social proof.
The dark side of social proof is made evident in studies of suicide. In particular, statistical research has demonstrated that after a suicide, especially that of a celebrity is reported in the media, the rates of both suicides and accidents increase alarmingly. Why the frequency of both suicides and accidents should both increase has invited speculation, but no firm explanation for these phenomena has, as yet, been identified.
Liking
Basically, people like to be liked. At the same time, we are likely to be persuaded to comply with a request if we like the person making the request. In marketing psychology, Tupperware parties are successful if the attendees like the Tupperware lady. Interestingly, however, both the reciprocity and the commitment principles will override liking.
Authority
People are strongly inclined to obey authority figures. The influence of authority was demonstrated in a classic study conducted by Stanley Milgram at Yale University. Ordinary men from different backgrounds were invited to participate in a learning experiment. The experiment required the subject to punish the learner (actually an actor) with electrical shocks (also fake) following each incorrect response to a question. In the end, 26 out of the 40 subjects administered lethal 450-volt shocks to the learner, even after he was slumped in his chair and apparently unconscious. Of the remaining subjects, none stopped administering shocks before reaching the 300-volt level.
Scarcity
Where some desired product is perceived as scarce, demand for that product will increase, all things being equal. Advertisers frequently manipulate consumer behavior with sell messages such as 'for a limited time only,' or 'while supplies last.' As sales figures demonstrate, these kinds of ploys actually work.
Lesson Summary
Our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors are influenced by many things, and often produce automated behavior. Principles of social influence, or the ways in which we are influenced, include the reciprocity principle, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity.
Learning Outcomes
Each of the above sections of the video lesson can prepare you to:
- List the sources of social influence
- Discuss automated behaviors as they relate to habits
- Interpret the different principles of social influence
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Social Influence in Psychology | Definition, Theory & Principles
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