INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Written By Rebecca Sylvia

SPECIFICATION:

  • Types of conformity: internalisation, identification and compliance. 

  • Explanations for conformity: informational social influence and normative social influence, and variables affecting conformity including group size, unanimity and task difficulty as investigated by Asch.

  • Conformity to social roles as investigated by Zimbardo.

  • Explanations for obedience include the agentic state and legitimacy of authority, situational variables affecting obedience, including proximity and location, as investigated by Milgram, and uniform.

  • The dispositional explanation for obedience is the Authoritarian Personality.

  • Explanations of resistance to social influence, including social support and locus of control.

  • Minority influence includes reference to consistency, commitment and flexibility.

  • The role of social influence processes in social change.

WHAT IS SOCIAL INFLUENCE?

Social influence refers to the ways in which people’s behaviour, attitudes, or beliefs are affected by others. It is a broad term that covers all forms of interpersonal pressure or persuasion, from following social norms to obeying authority.

There are three main types of social influence:

  1. Conformity – changing behaviour or opinions to match those of a group.

  2. Obedience – following direct orders from an authority figure.

  3. Minority Influence – when a smaller group or individual persuades the majority to change their beliefs.

COMMON STUDENT MISTAKE

Students often confuse social influence with majority influence.

  • Social influence is the umbrella term that includes conformity, obedience, and minority influence.

  • Majority influence refers specifically to conforming to the behaviour or views of the majority group (as in Asch’s line study).

In short:

All majority influence is social influence, but not all social influence is majority influence.

Rebecca Sylvia

I am a Londoner with over 30 years of experience teaching psychology at A-Level, IB, and undergraduate levels. Throughout my career, I’ve taught in more than 40 establishments across the UK and internationally, including Spain, Lithuania, and Cyprus. My teaching has been consistently recognised for its high success rates, and I’ve also worked as a consultant in education, supporting institutions in delivering exceptional psychology programmes.

I’ve written various psychology materials and articles, focusing on making complex concepts accessible to students and educators. In addition to teaching, I’ve published peer-reviewed research in the field of eating disorders.

My career began after earning a degree in Psychology and a master’s in Cognitive Neuroscience. Over the years, I’ve combined my academic foundation with hands-on teaching and leadership roles, including serving as Head of Social Sciences.

Outside of my professional life, I have two children and enjoy a variety of interests, including skiing, hiking, playing backgammon, and podcasting. These pursuits keep me curious, active, and grounded—qualities I bring into my teaching and consultancy work. My personal and professional goals include inspiring curiosity about human behaviour, supporting educators, and helping students achieve their full potential.

https://psychstory.co.uk
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TYPES OF CONFORMITY