DOES SOCIAL INFLUENCE EXIST?
Sudden changes in human behavior always baffled me and kept me wondering, what induces such alteration? What is a need for someone to change to fit in a particular environment? What prompts such changes? Well to summarize such phenomena a term is used called “Social Influence”
By definition, social influence is intentional or unintentional efforts to modify someone’s behavior, attributes, or traits. It shows how social surrounding impacts you and end up altering your behavior. US psychologist Robert Cialdini introduced to us,
SIX WEAPONS OF INFLUENCE:
1. Commitment and Consistency (people don’t like to be self-contradictory. a Monotonous way of living provides more comfort, too many rather changes.)
2. Reciprocity (you are more likely to do things in return even when you don’t feel a certain obligation to do so. It happens because of social convention that gives you this urge to return a favor or avenge)
3. Attraction or Adoring (Beauty standards are established by society and regardless of whether you condemn it, they sure do rub off on you. So to people most are more inclined to those who fit the beauty chart)
4. Authority (class system and hierarchy has always had a ginormous impact on our society. Being able to control and be in an authoritative position sure does give a rush. However, on the contrary, dominating desires and undermining others are negative traits that inadvertently put you in power hence you start to lack empathy)
5. Social proof (when people copy the behavior of others with the will to occupy similar traits as others. Furthermore, this takes place when people are unable to comprehend the current situation and take someone else’s word as a correct mode of behavior)
6. Scarcity (it’s an economical concept, which refers to the common fact that every human and nonhuman resource we have is in a finite amount and will run out eventually. This thought process makes people dream of more and leaves them with the feeling of dissatisfaction)
How social Influence works:
It is ubiquitous in human society and rather a broad term that relates to various circumstances, following are merely based on social psychology:
1. Compliance is when people agree with others and keeping own opinions and thoughts intimate.
2. Identification: Someone idealized, is followed due to the individual’s status or likability.
3. Internalization: Openly accepting another belief without fear of repercussions.
4. Conformity: Changing your thought process to match others. This also gets in action due to peer pressure.
5. Persuasion: Talking oneself into adapting another belief. This requires one to have a reasoning or emotion quotient.
6. Hierarchy exploitation: One in power would go to unimaginable extents to sustain the power and exert oppression upon the outvoted.
Why is there a need to comply with others:
Psychologists like Morton Deutsch and Harold Gerard have proven that humans have a certain need to be right (informative social influence) and need to be liked (normative social influence)
Informative social influence (social proof) is a type of influence that makes you accept the information provided as a source of actuality. It comes in action when you are uncertain or simply do not possess enough knowledge so agreeing with the majority seems like a way out.
Normative social influence is a type of influence that is required for positive feedback. It comes into action when people tend to feel the need for public passivity. Being liked and accepted is a conventional conundrum and default human response. It is there even if you don’t even realize that this feeling exists.
We don’t realize how society impacts us. Social influence is a passive change that causes us to overlook its impact. It gives power to a certain group of people which is proven to occupy more impact than physical strength. An individual can be influenced by many aspects around and acts under influence.
