Social Influence

If someone asked you whether you usually change how you act based on whoever is around you, you might take offense at the suggestion. Particularly in individualistic, Western cultures like that of the United States, most people tend to think of themselves as having clear, distinctive ways of behaving that do not change too much based on who they are interacting with or who is around them. People who seem to change too much from one social situation to another might even be labeled “two-faced” or “phony.”

However, one of the key lessons of social psychology involves the power of social influence on people’s behaviors. Even people who take great pride in “being themselves,” no matter what the situation, most likely change their behaviors depending on social context and cues. This happens, for example, when you yawn in response to the yawn of a neighboring classmate, or when a large school can empty for a fire drill in under a minute. As you will learn in this topic, adapting your behavior to the social context is often important, not just because of the natural human tendency to want to “fit in,” but also because it may be a matter of great importance—even life or death in some cases. Understanding the ways humans influence one another’s behaviors can help explain a great deal of human behavior that would not make sense if examined in isolation.

Essential Questions

• What are the factors that make individuals more likely to conform to those around them or to obey the commands of authorities?
• How does the presence of others positively and negatively influence behavior?
• How do group interactions influence individual behavior, and how can individuals influence groups?