Social Influence
lecture
last worked on:
10/11/95
Social Influence:
An Interlude
Soc 257
New Religious Movements
Lecture Outline
- Brainwashing Revisited
- Social Influence as an Alternative Account
- The Wonderful World of Robert Cialdini
- Should Someone be Regulating Influence?
Part I
Brainwashing Revisited
Review of Brainwashing Thesis
- The concept was introduced during the Korean
War to explain defections to communism by a few American soldiers.
- Research conducted after the war failed to find
any evidence to support the brainwashing hypothesis.
- Reintroduced in l960s/70s as an explaination
for joining "cults."
- Brainwashing (by various names) is widely and
effectively promoted by a small group of anti-cultists.
- But there is no scientific evidence to support
the idea
In a word........ brainwashing is not a viable concept
- There is no systematic theory,
and
there is no body of empirical research that
can lend validity to the phenomon as it has been characterized
by the secular anti-cultists.
Still......there are a lot of people
who believe that "cults" have unusual powers to influence
people.
Is there an alternative explanation that will allow us
to acknowledge the fact that "cults" and "sects"
can have very significant influence on individuals without having
to resort to the presuppositions and false premises of the brainwashing
metaphore?
YES!!
Part II
Social Influence as an Alternative Account
Social influence....
is an alternative concept that helps us better understand
the techniques of persuasion utilized by NRMs in the broader context
of influence in human cultures
- Influence is ubiquitous in everyday life.
- It is a rare day when any one of us is not
influenced and does not influence others.
- Robert Cialdini's book Influence
is a wonderful primer to how we are all victims
and simultaneously vultures in everyday life.
Five orienting premises:
- Influencing others is part of the experience
of being human.
- Some people are extremely skilled at getting
others to do what they want.
- All of us are had, .... not just occasionally....
often!!
- All of us regularly engage in behavior aimed
and gaining compliance from others.
- All of us possess training and skills to help
us resist.
Influence can take many forms and range
from.....
Religious leaders have long been among
the extremely skilled at gaining compliance
Charles Finey, Dwight Moody and Billy Sunday were 19th century
evangelists who virtually made a science of getting people to
step out into the isle when the invitation was given
at the end of a sermon.
- Billy Graham i the most successful and revered
evangelist of this century.
- Norman Vincent Peale similarily influenced millions
to a more liberal version of Protestantism.
But........
we make a serious misjudgment if we fail to recognize
that the techniques of religious leaders are not superior to those
who seek influence in the social, political and eonomic spheres
of culture.
Part III
The Wonderful World
of
Robert B. Cialdini
How did Cialdini get interested in this
topic?
- All my life I've been a patsy
How did Cialdini
prepare himself to write this book?
- Participant observation
research
What is the compliance professionals
goal?
- GETTING PEOPLE TO SAY:
- YES!
- Preferably an automatic, mindless compliance
without first thinking
Cialdini identifies six major tactics
of strategies for gaining compliance
- RECIPROCATION
- CONSISTENCY/COMMITMENT
- SOCIAL PROOF
- AUTHORITY
- LIKING
- SCARCITY
Reciprocity
- Repay in kind what another person has provided
us.
- Uninvited debts
- Recripocal concessions
Hilton Head, S.C.
Commitment and Consistency
"Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter
personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently
with that commitment."
- Consistency is probably a learned (as opposed
to innate) attribute. It is highly valued.
- We strive to behave in ways that are consistent
with our values and principles
- We similarly strive to avoid being perceived
as inconsistent.
Social Proof
- If we observe other people doing something, it
must be appropriate
- The principle of social proof says: "the
> the # who do something, the > the proof it is correct.
- Recirpocity of social proof:
- If I do something and others follow, it must
be alright.
- "in the face of uncertainity, convince and
ye shall be convinced."
Liking
- We are much more likely to say yes to someone
we like or perceive to be like us than we are to someone is is
a total stranger.
- Compliance "professionals" consciously
construct a world the make us like them:
- similarities of background,
beliefs, tastes
- showers of compliments
- cognitive consistency linking
Authority
- We are more likely to comply when we believe
someone to be an authority.
- Authority can provide a shortcut to decision
making.
- Compliance professionals can create the appearance
of authority:
Scarcity
if an item is available in limited quantities, or for a
limited time, that knowledge psychologically increases its desirability.
- If there are not many left, want them...
- If we can't have it, we want it....
Part IV
Epilogue:
Should Someone be Regulating Social Influence?
Cialdini's perspective:
- The pace of the modern world demands that we
frequently use shortcuts to beliefs, decisions and action.
- Indeed, "[t]he blitz of modern life defamds
that we have faithful shortcuts.
- There is nothing inherently wrong about shortcuts.
- "The problem comes when something causes
the normally trustworthy cues to counsel us poorly."
But problems abound:
- Honest people and "compliance professionals"
alike present themselves to us as trustworthy.
- Sorting them out, or more appropriately discerning
shades of gray, goes to the heart of one matter.
- But how do I descern good (honest) counsel from
poor (dishonest) counsel?
What is Cialdini's solution to the problem?
- "I am at war with the exploiters...."
- "...we all are."
- While Cialdini says "I would urge [a] forceful
counterassault,"is he really saying more than...
- caveat emptor?
Consider the following:
"Compliance professionals who play fairly by the
rules of shortcut response are not to be considered
the enemy; on the contrary, they are our allies in an efficient
and adaptive process of exchange. The proper targets for
counteraggression are only those individuals who falsify, counterfeit,
to misrepresent the evidence that naturally cues our shortcut
responses." (p 228)
How would Cialdini deal with "integrated
saturation marketing?"
Examples:
- Packaging of products surrounding release of
a Walt Disney movie?
- Network television programs using morning programming
to promote prime time programs?
How would Cialdini deal with advertising
"evil" products?
Examples:
- Lottery tickets
- Tobacco products
- Negative political advertisements
Finally, a question.....
- What are the implications of this book for
the study of "cults" and "sects?"
- Share your views with our classmates at:
Soc257-relmov@virginia.edu
Next topic:
Religion on the
World Wide Web
Dont foget!!!
Bring a floppy disk so you can download your booksmarks
Course schedule revision:
- October 19: Paradigms in Conflict
- October 24: Religion on the WWW
- October 26: 19th Cent Rel Movements:
Catholics
- October 31: 19th Cent Rel Movements
Mormons
- Nov 2: Interlude: Wicca & Satanism
(Guest speaker: David Bromley)