Social Impact Theory – Flashcards

How many people there are in the group.

It is not simply the case that as strength, immediacy and nuber of the source increases, so does the social impact they have on the target. Lightbulb in a dark room 1 lightbulb in a dark room will have a dramatic effect A second lightbulb will improve the lighting conditions. The effect becomes less pronounced as more are added.

Procedure: 1-15 confederates looked up at the 6th floor of a uni building. Milgram was on the 6th floor filming the number of passers by that stopped to look up. They were counted. Found: If they increase the number of confederates, it increased the number of passers by tha looked up. The effect eventually levelled off.

Strength X Immediacy X number = major impact on the behaviour of the target (dont forget the lightbulb effect)

The ability of the speaker to persuade the audiance is divided among many members of the audiance. The number of targets to be influenced affects the impact of the source.

Useful as general formulation Predict behaviour under certain conditions Principles can be observed in everyday behaviour Proof in forms of experiments.

Everyone is different, so this theory seems to oversimplify the nature of human. Ignore individual differences between each of us. Static rather than dynamic theory - it doesn't say how target and source interact with one another. More descriptive than explanatory - theory.