Understanding Social Influence and Group Dynamics

Social psychology investigates how individuals interact and influence one another, how social relations are maintained, and how culture impacts these processes. Social influence is a change in a person's beliefs, attitudes, or conduct due to the action or presence of another person or group. This influence varies in form and effect. We can distinguish three types:

• Interpersonal Influence: Mutual influence occurring in small groups.
• Persuasion: When a communicator attempts to influence a particular audience.
• Media Influence: Characterized by a lack of direct contact between the transmitter and receiver.

According to Serge Moscovici, there are three different forms of social influence:

• Standardization: The interaction among group members leads them to develop a standard.
• Conformity: The existence of a dominant norm and its unconditional acceptance by individuals.
• Innovation: The process of creating new standards to replace existing ones.

Conformity (majority influence) consists of a change in opinion, behavior, or attitude due to real or imagined group pressure. You act differently than you would when alone. There are two forms of conformity:

• Submission: Showing compliance without agreement.
• Acceptance: Involves showing conformity and agreement.

Solomon Asch investigated this striking process of social influence, where an individual accepts or accommodates the standard or opinion defended by the majority. Factors influencing conformity include:

• Group size: A small group's opposition differs from a large group's.
• Response in public or private: Compliance decreases if the subject responds privately rather than in front of the group.
• Level of attraction to the group: Individuals may adopt the group's opinion to gain rewards or avoid ridicule and rejection.

Obedience to authority arises when the source of influence is an authority figure who orders actions that one would not spontaneously perform or would emotionally reject. Stanley Milgram studied this phenomenon with people of different ages and social statuses, aiming to understand the influence of authority in administering punishment during learning experiments.