Social Influence and Self-Identity

Introduction to Social Influence

• Social influence is a major topic in social psychology.
• Explores how individual thoughts, actions, and feelings are influenced by social groups.

Imitation

• Definition: Basic form of social behavior involving copying others.
• Concept: Understanding the difference between self and others.
• Theories: Disagreement on when this understanding develops (birth vs. few months/years).

Andrew Meltzoff's Study (1977)

• Babies, aged 12-21 days, imitate facial expressions (e.g., sticking out tongue).
• Experiment controlled for reflex and conditioning.
• Findings: Suggests a built-in capacity for imitation.
• Mirror Neurons: Fire both when acting and observing the same action.
  • Found in somatosensory and motor cortex.

Roles

• Definition: We all have multiple roles (e.g., sibling, teacher).
• Social Norms: Accepted standards of behavior within social groups.
• Behavior changes according to role expectations.
• Important for order in society.

Philip Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment

• Explains impact of roles on behavior.
• Participants adopted behaviors fitting their assigned roles (guards vs. prisoners).
• Environment influenced behavior significantly.

Reference Groups

• Definition: Groups we refer to when evaluating ourselves.
• Influence our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.
• Serve as points of comparison in decision making.
• Examples:
  • Social science student's reference in political decisions.
  • Feminist reference in personal choices.

Culture and Socialization

• Sociocultural Theory: Interaction of society and culture on individual development.
• Influence of various social agents (e.g., parents, peers, teachers) on social identity.
• Broader societal influences (e.g., country, language, communities) on behavior and learning.

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Conclusion: Social influence encompasses various factors such as imitation, roles, reference groups, and culture, all contributing to our self-identity and behavior.