Social Influence

Please sit with the desks that match your number.
Today’s Learning Outcome
 The
students will be able to identify & define
compliance & conformity techniques.
 The students will perform tasks to show compliance
techniques.

Please read the handout on compliance techniques.
Group Behaviour

The last two classes dealt with the Social Learning
Theory.
 In
your group, refresh your memories on SLT. What is it?
What studies support SLT?
Today, we look at Social Influence.
Compliance Techniques

Each of you has
received a number and
it coincides with the
following information:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Authority
Commitment
Liking
Reciprocity
Scarcity
Social Proof



Success Criteria:
You will now create a
short skit that
demonstrates the
compliance technique.
You will have 15 minutes
to prepare. Groups will
present next class.
GO!!!
Door-in-the-face Technique
Reciprocity

Cialdini et al (1975)
 Experimenters
posed as reps for a false organization &
asked students on the street to volunteer
 Initially
asked to volunteer chaperone juvenile delinquents to
the zoo for a one day trip-83% refused
 Experimenters then asked if students would volunteer to work
2 hours a week for 2 years-100% refusal

However, after asking for 2 years, experimenters than asked the
bit about the zoo-50% agreed to chaperone
In your group: think of real life examples?
Foot-in-the-Door Technique
Commitment

Dickerson et al (1992)


Students wanted to see if
they could get other
students to conserve water
in the dorm showers
Subjects were asked to do
2 things:
1.
2.
Sign a poster (“Take
shorter showers. If I
can do it, so can you!”)
Take a survey
designed to make
them think about their
own water wastage.



Students shower times were
then monitored
Those who signed the
poster and took the survey
took shorter showers on
average by 3.5 minutes
The times were significantly
shorter than others in the
dorm
In your group discuss the
problems with this study.
Commitment
Goal Gradients
Longer people are committed
to something, the less likely
they are to abandon
War in Afghanistan a good
example?
Low-Balling
Cialdini et al (1974)
 First year psych students were
asked to be in a study that began
at 7 AM-76% refused
 A second group was asked to
participate but not told a time-44%
refused

When they were told it was at 7 AM
(they could back out if they wanted)95% showed
Hazing
What is hazing?
Turn to page 119 in handout and read the last
paragraph before the blue subheading together.
Solomon Asch (1951)
DISCUSS the use of the compliance technique for
which you created a skit. (Include studies)
Turn in one sheet for the group.
hint: The command term “discuss” requires you to offer
a balanced review of two compliance techniques . You
must include research as evidence in your argument,
which should be based on discussing the power of the
explanation.
practice

Read pages 126-130 in the text on conformity.
 Write
notes on the studies of conformity
 Write notes on how conformity is explained
 Write notes on the factors that influence conformity