Social Influence

1. Social Influence 1

2. Agenda • Type of responses are we going to focus on • Understanding influence from a power perspective • Understanding influence from a psychological perspective 2

3. Agenda • Type of responses are we going to focus on • Understanding influence from a power perspective • Understanding influence from a psychological perspective 3

4. Acceptance: Autokinetic Effect Study • Estimate how far point of light moved in dark room • After many trials, individual’s estimates converged • Retained group norm when tested alone later • Used others’ estimates to guide own estimates!!! • Acceptance. Publicly conformed and privately agreed 4

5. Compliance: Asch Experiment • Compliance. Publicly conformed but privately disagreed 5

6. Agenda • Type of responses are we going to focus on • Understanding influence from a power perspective • Understanding influence from a psychological perspective 6

7. What is power? • Power is the ability to bring about change in one’s social environment. 7

8. What is social influence? • Social influence is the use of social power to change the behavior or attitudes of others in a particular direction. 8

9. Fishbowl: Cardgame 9

10. Cardgame • Whoever has the most cards after five minutes after the start of this exercise can announce a rule that is binding for everyone in this seminar. But the rule must not to hinder the continuance of this seminar. 10

11. Cardgame: Discussion 11

12. Types of influence tactics Rational Persuasion Logical arguments and factual evidence Inspirational appeal Arouse enthusiasm by appealing to values ideals and aspirations Consultation Need your support so will seek your assistance or modify your proposal to get it. Ingratiation Get you in a good mood before asking you for something Exchange Quid pro Quo Personal Appeal Appeals to your feelings of loyalty and friendship Coalition Get someone else to persuade you to comply Use someone else’s support as reason for you to comply Legitimating Claims to have the authority to get you to do something Verifying its in the policy manual, rules or practices and traditions Pressure Use demands threats or persistent reminders 12

13. Influence tactics and sources of power • Reward Power: Ingratiation, Exchange • Coercive Power: Coalition, Pressure • Legitimate Power: Consultation, Legitimating • Expert Power: Rational Persuasion • Referent Power: Inspirational Appeal, Personal Appeal 13

14. Agenda • Type of responses are we going to focus on • Understanding influence from a power perspective • Understanding influence from a psychological perspective 14

15. What is social influence? • Use of psychological processes that make the target susceptible towards attitude change and initiation of certain behaviors. 15

16. Agenda • Understanding influence from a power perspective • Understanding influence from a psychological perspective • Reciprocity • Consistency • Social Proof • Liking • Authority • Scarcity 16

17. Agenda • Understanding influence from a power perspective • Understanding influence from a psychological perspective • Reciprocity • Consistency • Social Proof • Liking • Authority • Scarcity 17

18. Reciprocity: A learned norm in societies • A norm is a rule for accepted or expected behavior. 18

19. Agenda • Understanding influence from a power perspective • Understanding influence from a psychological perspective • Reciprocity • Repayment: Giving to those who have given to you. • Concessions: Make a concession in return for a concession of the other. 19

20. Repayment: Christmas Card Experiment • Phil Kunz sent 578 Christmas cards (signed “Joyce and Phil”) to strangers living in Chicago, Illinois. • What do you think happened afterwards? • 117 (over 20%) sent a card in return • Return cards had notes or letters enclosed • Only 6 of the 117 people who returned a card said they could not remember them 20

21. Repayment: The Donations Experiment Conditions • Ask for a donation and .... • … give half of targets a small gift • … give other half nothing Results • With gift: 35% • Without gift: 18% 21

22. Repayment: The Donations Experiment 22

23. In class discussion • Do you know this technique from other domains? 23

24. Repayment: Why do we fall for this? • Obligation • Guilt • Evolutionarily adaptive 24

25. Concessions: Door in the Face Technique • Two step procedure: • Large request (get No!) • Smaller request (get Yes!) • Works because: • 1st request makes 2nd request seem more moderate and acceptable • By making a 2nd, more moderate, request the requester appears to have made a concession, which makes other person feel obligated to make a reciprocal concession 25

26. Concessions: County Youth Study Control group: “Would you be willing to serve as unpaid chaperons for juvenile delinquents on a day trip to the zoo?” Experimental group: “Would you be willing to serve as unpaid counselors to juvenile delinquents 2 hrs./wk for 2 years?” (inflated request) “No? Ok, would you be willing to serve as unpaid chaperons for juvenile delinquents on a day trip to the zoo?” (concession) Cialdini et al. (1975) 26

27. Concessions: County Youth Study 27

28. When doesn’t the door in the face work? • Factors that reduce its effectiveness: • Initial request too extreme • Request for selfish purposes • Delay between 1st and 2nd request 28

29. In class discussion: Dating • Knowing this super power knowledge how would you get someone’s telephone number in a club? 29

30. In class discussion: Negotiations • Knowing this how would you get someone to reduce his wage or increase working time? 30

31. Agenda • Understanding influence from a power perspective • Understanding influence from a psychological perspective • Reciprocity • Consistency • Social Proof • Liking • Authority • Scarcity 31

32. Consistency: The basics • Remember cognitive dissonance? • Feeling of anxiety or tension • Arises when behaviors = attitudes 32

33. Consistency Two conditions: “Please call if you have to change your plans.” 30% no show rate “Will you please call if you have to change your plans?” 10% no show rate 33

34. Consistency: Why do we fall for it? • Once we make a commitment, we feel pressure from ourselves and others to behave consistently with that commitment. • Consistency saves mental resources. We do not need to decide again and again. 34

35. Consistency: Beach Towel Study Control group: no commitment Experimental group: commitment “Could you please watch my things?” (Moriarty, 1975) 35

36. Consistency: Beach Towel Study 36

37. Consistency: Petition Study Researchers asked 1/2 of the residents in an apt. complex to sign a petition to create a recreation center for the handicapped. 2 weeks later, all residents were approached and asked to donate money to the cause. This reflects a two-step process for the 1/2 of participants who signed the petition. 37

38. Consistency: Petition Study 38

39. Consistency: Foot in the Door Technique • Compliance with small request increases chance of compliance with larger request later. 39

40. Consistency: American Cancer Society Control Group: “I’m collecting money for the American Cancer Society. Would you be willing to help by giving a donation.” Experimental Group: “I’m collecting money for the American Cancer Society. Would you be willing to help by giving a donation. Even a penny would help.” (Cialdini & Schroeder, 1976) 40

41. Consistency: American Cancer Study • Not only did more people give, but they also gave more. $30.34 $18.55 41

42. Consistency: The pervasive force • People add reasons and justifications to support the commitments they have made. • This causes prior commitments to be self-perpetuating because people will stick to their prior commitments even when the original factor leading to compliance is gone. 42

43. In class discussion • Do you have a foot in the door technique example from your life? … where you were the door… or the placed the foot. 43

44. Consistency: Low Ball Technique A telephone solicitor may call and inquire how you are feeling or doing. Once you state that you are well, they will use that response to solicit your aid for those who are not well. Since you just stated you were well, you will feel the need to be consistent and help those who are not as well off as you. 44

45. When doesn’t the foot in the door work? • when the commitment is forced (vs. voluntary)“He that complies against his will is of his own opinion still.” • when the commitment is made in private (vs public) • when the commitment took no effort (vs it did) • when the commitment was made passively (vs actively) 45

46. Agenda • Understanding influence from a power perspective • Understanding influence from a psychological perspective • Reciprocity • Consistency • Social Proof • Liking • Authority • Scarcity 46

47. What is Social Proof • Determine correct behavior by seeing what others are doing. • Balthazar Gracian (ca. 1650): “Not all turn the goods over or look deep. Most run where the crowd is – because the others run.” 47

48. Social Proof: Looking Up Study Two conditions: 1 confederate looking up 45% of participants look up 15 confederates looking up 85% of participants look up Milgram et al (1969) 48

49. Social Proof: Shock Experiment • Administered shock to participant • Asked participant how painful shock was • Took physiological measures of pain • Participants felt less shock on both pain indices if they were in the presence of another participant who was apparently experiencing little or no pain. Craig & Prkachin (1978) 49

50. Social Proof: Is used often. • Canned laughter • Klakeurs • Person-on-the-street testimonies 50