Effects of strength and immediacy in group contexts: Reply to Jackson.

Mullen, Brian

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.50.3.514

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Social Impact Theory can effectively explain the diminishing effect of increasing the number of confederates in the Asch experiments (Latane, 1981 ), and was also extended to cases where a majority conflicted with a minority (Latane and Wolf, 1981 ). However, its variables of strength and immediacy – precisely that which distinguished it from other models (e.g., Tanford and Penrod, 1984 ) – came up against conflicting empirical findings and where effects were found they were typically of a very low magnitude (Mullen, 1985 , 1986 ; Jackson, 1986 ). Furthermore, these theories were largely based on studies involving the adoption of arbitrary or bizarre group decisions and so their ability to understand social influence more generally, particularly in the context of evolution, is limited.…”

Section: The Social Psychology Literaturementioning

confidence: 97%

The Biological Bases of Conformity

Morgan¹,

Laland²

2012

Front. Neurosci.

144

124

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Humans are characterized by an extreme dependence on culturally transmitted information and recent formal theory predicts that natural selection should favor adaptive learning strategies that facilitate effective copying and decision making. One strategy that has attracted particular attention is conformist transmission, defined as the disproportionately likely adoption of the most common variant. Conformity has historically been emphasized as significant in the social psychology literature, and recently there have also been reports of conformist behavior in non-human animals. However, mathematical analyses differ in how important and widespread they expect conformity to be, and relevant experimental work is scarce, and generates findings that are both mutually contradictory and inconsistent with the predictions of the models. We review the relevant literature considering the causation, function, history, and ontogeny of conformity, and describe a computer-based experiment on human subjects that we carried out in order to resolve ambiguities. We found that only when many demonstrators were available and subjects were uncertain was subject behavior conformist. A further analysis found that the underlying response to social information alone was generally conformist. Thus, our data are consistent with a conformist use of social information, but as subjects’ behavior is the result of both social and asocial influences, the resultant behavior may not be conformist. We end by relating these findings to an embryonic cognitive neuroscience literature that has recently begun to explore the neural bases of social learning. Here conformist transmission may be a particularly useful case study, not only because there are well-defined and tractable opportunities to characterize the biological underpinnings of this form of social learning, but also because early findings imply that humans may possess specific cognitive adaptations for effective social learning.

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Section: The Social Psychology Literaturementioning

confidence: 97%

The Biological Bases of Conformity

Morgan¹,

Laland²

2012

Front. Neurosci.

144

124

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“…In his meta-analysis, Mullen (1985Mullen ( , 1986 found that immediacy tended to exert an influence on self-report measurements of subjective anticipated tension, but not so much on other measurements that are closer to overt behavior. Although Jackson (1986) criticized Mullen's methodological approach and defended the existence of immediacy effects on overt behavior, not much support for Jackson's claims can be found in the literature until today.…”

Section: Physical Distance and Conformity To Group Normsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Group norms, physical distance, and ecological efficiency in common pool resource management

2007

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Earlier research has repeatedly shown that people tend to follow group norms when using common pool resources. The present commons dilemma study seeks to extend these findings with two inherently relevant concepts: First, the ecological efficiency of the group norm, and second, the physical distance between the actors involved. Physical distance was manipulated by administering a web-based commons dilemma task to participants in the laboratory versus participants in the Internet. Ecological efficiency was manipulated by giving participants feedback about an overusing or a conserving group norm while the pool was either big or small. Conformity effects were strongest when the perceived group norm was ecologically efficient and participants were physically closer. Moreover, the effect of physical distance was mediated by the importance a person attached to the group's behavior. When physically farther apart, individuals attached less importance to the group's behavior and, as a consequence, showed less conformity. The results are discussed in the light of previous commons dilemma research and social psychological theories, and consequences for natural resource management are reflected. Some common pool resources and the environmental problems associated with them are rooted on a local level (e.g., residential waste disposal or fresh water use), but others have a rather global dimension (e.g., air pollution or the greenhouse effect). Although local problems may often affect us more than global ones, both types of environmental problems are an integral part of our everyday life and local action is often relevant for global resources as

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“…Based on metaanalyses, Mullen concluded that the effects were "weak" and "inconsistent," and hence seriously undermine the explanatory value of social impact theory. Jackson (1986) has risen in defense of the theory and has engaged Mullen in a vigorous and continuing exchange (Mullen, 1986). Whatever the direction and outcome of future research on the theory, Latane and his colleagues have thus far provided an insightful accounting of the dynamics of audience impact with the promise of a greater understanding of this topic in the future.…”

Section: Division Of Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Social Psychology of Sport

Russell

1993

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Effects of strength and immediacy in group contexts: Reply to Jackson.

Cited by 6 publications

References 11 publications

The Biological Bases of Conformity

The Biological Bases of Conformity

Group norms, physical distance, and ecological efficiency in common pool resource management

The Social Psychology of Sport

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