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Social Impact Theory of Behaviour (Evaluation (Strengths (Appears to be…
Social Impact Theory of Behaviour
Evaluation
Strengths
Appears to be
useful as a general formulation and can predict behaviour under certain conditions
Quantifiable
, principles can be observed in everyday behaviour
Research into conformity, obedience (Milgram) and bystander behaviour (Latane) have all
demonstrated the impact of strength, immediacy and number on observable human responses in social situations
Weaknesses
SIT
views individuals as passive receivers of others behaviour
towards them,
disregards the active nature
of social interaction
Everyone is different, this theory
oversimplifies the nature of human interaction
and
ignores individual differences
(some are more resistant to social impact and some more passive)
-
Static rather than dynamic
, as it doesn't take into account how the target and source interact with each other
More
descriptive as a theory rather than explanatory
,
not explaining why
people are influenced by others, only
under what conditions they are influenced by
Social Impact Theory
Refers to
changes that occur in a person
(cognitive, behavioural and emotional)
due to actions of others
, and the social impact of what they agree on also increases a number of factors
Strength
: a message of stronger if it is repeated by a lot of people who are all in agreement
Status and knowledge
: the message will be strengthened if the person doing it is an expert in the field
Number
: as the number of people in agreement increases, the social impact of what they agree on also increases whilst the individuals impact decreases
Immediacy
: the message will have more impact coming from friends rather than strangers
In terms of obedience this suggests
authority figures who are perceived to be legitimate, who are immediate and who are greater in number, are more likely to ensure obedience
Can be applied to any social behaviour, including obedience, as
it looks at the functioning of individuals in the presence of others
Social impact is
"any individual feelings, thoughts or behaviours that are exerted by actions of others"
The multiplicative effect (number)
Berkowitz, Bickman and Milgram (1969)
One and 15 confederates congregated on the street and
craned their necks to look up
at the sixth floor of the university building,
passers-by who also stopped and looked up
The divisional effect
-
Individuals feel less accountable as the number of people present increases
- A lone person is
more likely to help someone in need compared to a group of people
; there is a
diffusion of responsibility
similar to a divisional effect
Exam tip
You may be asked to
describe a theory of obedience or prejudice
You do not need to justify or explain your response, or evaluate the theory
Devise some prompts
to help remember the key elements of a theory
e.g
strength, number, immediacy, multiplication