Elaboration of the Examples of Social Influence

March 1, 2023 by Donald Gorassini, howinfluenceworks.com

The 20 examples provided in Lesson 1 of the tutorial represent a wide range of social influence situations. The examples have in common a source that is exerting potential influence, a recipient that might be changed, a request depicting expected behaviour, and a promise that certain outcomes will result from performing the behaviour. In this blog, I describe the source, recipient, request, and possible outcomes in each case. I also offer a comment about each example.

Requests and outcomes, although crucial to social influence attempts, are not always stated in so many words by the source of influence. Requests and prospective outcomes are commonly inferred accurately by source and recipients alike from the parties’ shared understanding of the context. I elaborate on this in my comments.

Under outcomes of compliance in each example, I list one possible gain and one possible loss of complying. The recipient of an influence attempt might consider any number of outcomes in an evaluation and not necessarily the ones I have listed.

1. You ask your spouse to water the flowers.
   • Source
     • one spouse
   • Recipient
     • the other spouse
   • Requested behaviour
     • water the flowers
   • Outcomes of compliance
     • keeps the flowers beautiful (+)
     • takes some time (-)
   • Comment
     • This is an example of the common instance in human affairs of one person attempting to exert influence over another with an overt request. Notice that expected outcomes are not stated. Spouses are so well-acquainted with each other that outcomes of requested conduct are part of their shared implicit knowledge.
2. A product commercial is aired.
   • Source
     • a company
   • Recipients
     • a targeted audience
   • Requested behaviour
     • to purchase the product
   • Outcomes of compliance
     • desirable product features (+)
     • cost (-)
   • Comment
     • Companies spend billions of dollars each year on product advertisements. The aim is to get people to buy products and services. Here requests are often implicit because it is common knowledge that if the company is advertising the product that they must want the viewer to purchase it. More time is spent in product advertisements depicting outcomes of purchasing the product.
3. A documentary designed to change attitudes is broadcast.
   • Source
     • documentary maker
   • Recipients
     • viewers
   • Requested behaviour
     • adopt the attitudes reflected in the documentary
   • Outcomes of compliance
     • contribute to a better world (+)
     • might have to face troubling notions (-)
   • Comment
     • Documentaries are a powerful medium for changing audience attitude and behaviour because they tell stories, offer concrete examples, and engage the heart.
4. A television news network promotes a political viewpoint.
   • Source
     • the news network
   • Recipients
     • viewers
   • Requested behaviour
     • believe accordingly
   • Outcomes of compliance
     • group validation (+)
     • over-reliance on the source (-)
   • Comment
     • A television network can change audience attitudes and behaviours in any number of ways, including by the opinions it expresses, the stories it covers, and the stories it ignores.
5. Fellow students dress casually.
   • Source
     • an informal group of your fellow students
   • Recipients
     • any person in the group
   • Requested behaviour
     • dress like us
   • Outcomes of compliance
     • acceptance (+)
     • reduced independence (-)
   • Comment
     • We tend to conform to norms that develop in our communities. Do our fellow students literally tell us to dress like them? Not in so many words, but the expectation does exist as shown by the fact that everyone seems to act accordingly and violations tend to be punished when they occur.
6. Your city of residence sends you a property tax bill.
   • Source
     • the municipal government
   • Recipient
     • property owners in the city
   • Requested behaviour
     • pay us the amount by the deadline shown
   • Outcomes of compliance
     • tranquility (+)
     • financial cost (-)
   • Comment
     • Governments and companies require us to pay them various fees, offer us useful services, and have highly effective ways of insuring that we pay. One of the most influential forms of influence in our lives is the financial, either in the form of inducement or in the form of threat. To keep a good paying job, people do almost anything they are asked. To avoid a big financial penalty, people will likewise do almost anything they are asked.
7. An aspiring politician makes several points during a candidates’ debate.
   • Source
     • the political candidate
   • Recipient
     • voters witnessing the debate
   • Requested behaviour
     • vote for me
   • Outcomes of compliance
     • pride of citizenship (+)
     • expending the effort to fulfill your civic duty (-)
   • Comment:
     • Political debate contains all sorts of facts and arguments by candidates in support of their request that you vote for them. It can be a lot of work sorting through what they have to say on your way to deciding on whom to vote for. There can be a temptation to use shortcut strategies when selecting the candidate most worthy of a vote.
8. Your doctor prescribes a medication.
   • Source
     • the doctor
   • Recipient
     • the patient
   • Requested behaviour
     • take this drug as directed
   • Outcomes of compliance
     • better health (+)
     • side effects (-)
   • Comment
     • We are usually willing to go along with treatments recommended by the doctor, even when these are extreme.
9. The armed forces recruits new soldiers.
   • Source
     • the armed forces recruiters
   • Recipient
     • eligible young adults
   • Request
     • join the armed forces
   • Outcomes of compliance
     • service to country (+)
     • potential for serious injury or death (-)
   • Comment
     • Every country needs an armed forces and uses various methods in the quest to meet recruitment targets. The armed services extend an open invitation to qualified people to join. Recruiters will add a sales pitch to increase the frequency of sign-ups.
10. A movie is shown.
    • Source
      • screen writer, director, production company
    • Recipient
      • audience members
    • Request
      • could be various, from sit back and enjoy the story to change your attitudes and conduct
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • enjoyment (+)
      • distraction (-)
    • Comments
      • We all know movies to be a powerful medium. Sometimes the story has a tremendous grip for the duration of the movie but has no long-term effects on attitudes and behaviour. At other times, there are protracted effects.
11. A coaching staff gives you direction on how to improve athletic performance.
    • Source
      • the coaching staff
    • Recipient
      • the athlete
    • Request
      • instruction in the strategy and tactics of sport and, to a degree, life
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • possible better performance (+)
      • risk that the coach is wrong (-)
    • Comment
      • Coaching of all kinds is a very common and very important form of social influence. Some of the most influential people in a young person’s life are coaches.
12. The government of a country provides large cash subsidies to its media companies.
    • Source
      • the government
    • Recipient
      • media companies
    • Request
      • support the party in power
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • solvency as a company (+)
      • acceptance of limits on free inquiry (-)
    • Comment:
      • Recipients feel obliged to treat their financial benefactors preferentially. The offer and acceptance of money in return for preferential treatment comprises the transaction. There is no need to verbalize the contract.
13. A media company excludes certain people and content from its platforms.
    • Source
      • the media company
    • Recipient
      • the public
    • Request
      • consider our coverage open-minded
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • confidence the news is balanced (+)
      • do not check up on the company (-)
    • Comment
      • Media companies present polished and interesting stories, worth watching on a regular basis for entertainment value alone. If the coverage is slanted, it would be difficult to know without a lot of effort devoted to researching such things as accuracy and balance of the stories. To a low effort patron, the news organization could serve as their sole window on the world.
14. A professor teaches a university course.
    • Source
      • the professor
    • Recipients
      • the students
    • Request
      • evaluate these ideas
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • the truth is life-giving (+)
      • the truth is hard-won (-)
    • Comments
      • Students experience profound changes in their worldviews and acquire amazing skills on the strength of university courses taken. The courses teach interesting facts and theories. In the classic model of education, students learn to become critical thinkers by reflex.
15. The police enforce the law.
    • Source
      • the police force
      • the government
    • Recipients
      • the community
    • Request
      • Assume we are competent and fair in our enforcement of the law.
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • status quo enforcement practices (+)
      • failure to discover bad policies (-)
    • Comments
      • Many are taught from a young age to trust law enforcement practices. For these people, the uniform and badge are symbols of competent and trustworthy policing. This trust is difficult to shake because police activity is rarely seen, much less evaluated, by most members of society.
16. Parents set a curfew.
    • Source
      • parents
    • Recipients
      • children
    • Request
      • Be home by 11 PM.
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • good standing with parents
      • less fun than desired
    • Comment
      • Influence occurs everywhere, including within families.
17. Your hockey teammates compete vigorously.
    • Source
      • your teammates
    • Recipient
      • you
    • Request
      • I expect you to compete vigorously.
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • team cohesion (+)
      • hightened risk of injury (-)
    • Comments
      • Expectations of teammates tend to be unspoken but are very powerful. Full endorsement across team members of norms of effort and self-sacrifice contribute to team success. Dissent from the norms undermines team success.
18. Detectives interrogate a suspect for hours in a cold room.
    • Source
      • the detectives
    • Recipient
      • the suspect
    • Request
      • Confess to make things better.
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • stop the discomfort (+)
      • get booked (-)
    • Comments
      • An interrogation by its nature is unpleasant. If it gets bad enough, false confessions can occur.
19. A university changes its admission policy.
    • Source
      • the university
    • Recipient
      • prospective students
    • Request
      • Apply if you meet the new criteria.
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • Implicit endorsement of the policy change. (+)
      • Failure to challenge a potentially bad policy. (-)
    • Comments:
      • Policies set by organizations and governments are powerful and impersonal type of influence. They are social in nature nonetheless because they are devised by people.
20. An airline develops a reputation for excellent service.
    • Source:
      • the airline
    • Recipient
      • potential customers
    • Request
      • See us as credible.
    • Outcomes of compliance
      • increased susceptibility to comply with the airline’s influence attempts (+)
      • lowered tendency to view the airline’s claims with a critical eye (-)
    • Comments:
      • Perceived reputation of the source is a major factor in determining the recipient’s susceptibility to influence by that entity. You might develop a loyalty to that source. Having found a trusted carrier, you might cease comparison shopping and patronize only that company.