Social Influence & Social Cognition

a) Explain what is understood by the term ‘compliance’.

Compliance is an overt or explicit attempt to influence another. Rather than wait for group pressures to take effect. Asking someone to purchase a product or perform a task are both examples of compliance. There are techniques which people use to increase the likelihood of compliance, for example, the foot in the door technique.

b) Identify three factors which might increase the likelihood of compliance.

Three factors which might determine compliance are authority, consistency/commitment and reciprocity.

c) Describe one study of minority influence. In your answer indicate why the study was conducted, the method used, results obtained and conclusions drawn.

Moscovici created an experimental paradigm designed to allow the study of minority influence. In his experiment there were 6 people- 2 confederates and 4 participants. They were shown a set of slides which were blue and asked each person in turn what colour they thought the slide was. The 2 confederates stated that the slides were green. The minority(confederates) were able to influence about 32% of the subjects to make at least one incorrect judgement about the colour of the slides they were shown. Moscovici found that a majority can bring about compliance in a group but the subjects may not necessarily believe in what they are saying. However, when a minority influences a majority in a group they can bring about internalisation and the minority can influence the majority to believe in what they are saying. Moscovici also found that a minority is more likely to influence a majority if the minority are consistent with their answers, they appear confident in what they are saying, they avoid a dogmatic and rigid appearance, they disrupt the established norm and put doubt in the majorities minds and if they argue for a view compatible with current social trends. Therefore it is possible, as shown by Moscovici that a minority can influence a majority, but to be successful in influencing the majority they have to have a certain behavioural style.

d) Discuss the extent to which the order of presentation of information might affect impression formation.

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d) Discuss the extent to which the order of presentation of information might affect impression formation.

Impression formation is a process whereby we infer personal characteristics from limited information (behavior or appearance). For example, when we talk to someone (eg. In an interview) we begin to build up an impression of them and will then build up expectations and learn how to interact appropriately with that person. The order in which information is presented may affect impression formation. Primacy or recency effects may be present according to the presentation of the information. Asch looked at how the order of information presented affects impression formation. He presented a list of adjectives to a group which described a person. Asch found that the first adjectives have more impact than the later ones. Therefore the same words but presented in different orders could affect the impression they have of that person. When more positive adjectives were given first, the participants tended to rate that person more positively than they did if the more negative adjectives were given first. This experiment gives evidence of primacy effects- the element placed first has the greatest effect. Another experiment which supports the primacy effect is Luchins experiment. Luchin produced 2 paragraphs which described a person- one paragraph described the person as an extrovert and the other paragraph described the same person as an introvert. These two paragraphs were presented in two different orders- one with the paragraph describing the person as an extrovert first and the other with the paragraph describing the person as an introvert. These two different presentations were shown to a number of people and were asked to rate the person on a scale of 1-10 of how extrovert they thought he was. The majority described the person according to what their first paragraph was. So if their first paragraph was describing him as an extrovert they said the person was an extrovert. This experiment, as well as Ashes, provides evidence that the order in which you present information does have an effect on people and the effect is most likely to be a primacy one.

However, these experiments have problems of ecological validity. Both of the experiments are carried out in a controlled way, which is different from real life situations. Therefore the results in these experiments could differ from real life.

There are also some other problems with these experiments. For example, what happens if one of the words given in Ashes experiment was neither negative or positive? Also, whether the impression you have of people is primacy or recency depends on the person. If you are strangers then a primacy effect is more apparent because you don’t know what that person is like, Because of this you form an impression of them from the first things you see as you have nothing else to base that impression on. If you were friends then it would be the opposite and the recency effect should be more apparent. Both Asches and Luchin’s experiments reflect encounters with strangers and because of this, the primacy effects may be more apparent. In conclusion, the presentation of information could affect impression formation if it was carried it out in a controlled way. Then again, in real life the order of presentation of information might not affect impression formation at all or only in some circumstances.