social impact theory
strength- the perceived power/authority of the source
law of diminishing returns
divisional effect
immediacy- closeness of sources and targets
number- number of sources present
multiplicative effect
evaluation
sources and targets
however raises issues of social control
useful practical applications for social engineering: can find the right people for certain leadership roles, ideal number of students to teacher ratio in a classroom
it disregards individuality of the target, targets are not simply passive
sources- influencing
targets- being influenced
strength, immediacy and number all have a multiplicatory effect on target up to a certain point
refers to the number of targets a source is trying to influence – the impact is divided by the number of targets present. There is a diffusion of responsibility.
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the gawking study- Berkowitz and Milgram
craned necks to look up at the sky and without saying anything influenced others to do so, the more people looking up the more influential the action was
reductionist
principles can be observed and quantified- making it easier to study
support from psychological research- gawking study
claims