Understanding Social Impact Theory

Jan 6, 2025

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.