Lecture Notes: Social Impact Theory

Introduction

• Social Impact Theory: An alternative theory to agency theory to explain obedience.
• Important for understanding obedience in psychology, especially in scenarios and comparisons with agency theory.

Origins and Concepts

• Proposed by Bibb Latané in 1981.
• Suggests influence from others acts as social forces on individuals, similar to physical forces on objects.
• Predicts that conformity or obedience increases with:
  • Strength: Importance of the influencing person or group.
  • Immediacy: Proximity of the influencer.
  • Number: Number of people in the influencing group.

Mathematical Model

• Formula: [ f = S \times I \times N ]
  • S for Strength, I for Immediacy, N for Number.
  • Greater values in these factors lead to higher impact on obedience.

Key Concepts

• Strength: Influence depends on the status and authority of the influencer.
• Immediacy: Physical proximity enhances influence.
• Number: More people equals more influence up to a point (Psychosocial Law/Light Bulb Effect).
  • Additional members past a certain point make little difference.

Psychosocial Law (Light Bulb Effect)

• Influence increases with more group members but levels off.
• Demonstrated through a study with confederates looking up at a building, showing diminishing returns in influence.

Divisional Effects

• Influence is divided among group members.
• Smaller groups or individuals are more easily influenced than larger groups.

Supporting Studies

• Milgram and Latané's Study (1969): Examined how confederates influenced passersby.
  • Found that influence levels off with increased numbers.
• Milgram's Variation: Showed decreased obedience with rebellious peers in the room.

Comparisons with Agency Theory

• Agency Theory: Milgram's theory explaining obedience as an evolutionary and social trait.
  • Describes obedience but not why it occurs in specific instances.
• Social Impact Theory:
  • Explains obedience and conformity with social forces.
  • Lacks explanation for individual differences in obedience.
  • Cannot account for people resisting influence in large groups.

Evaluation of Social Impact Theory

• IMPACT Acronym:
  • I: Individuals are passive receivers.
  • M: Ignores individual differences.
  • P: Predicts behavior in unusual circumstances.
  • A: Application of principles is observable in everyday behavior.
  • C: Cannot predict outcomes in situations with equal opposing groups.

Applications

• Useful in understanding behavior in settings like schools and workplaces.
• Helps in strategizing to increase or decrease obedience.

Limitations

• Does not explain outcomes with equal opposing groups, such as rival sports teams.
• Fails to account for all situational or personality differences affecting obedience.