Social Influence – Meaning, Forms, Principles and Theories | UPSC ETHICS NOTES
What’s Inside this Blog
- Meaning of social influence
- Features of social influence
- Levels/forms of social influence (Kelman’s classification)
- Additional forms of influence
- Aristotle’s components of persuasion
- Principles of influence
- Persuasion techniques
- Theories explaining persuasion
- Challenging beliefs and counter-arguments
- Enablers of social influence
- Systematic and heuristic persuasion
- FAQs with answers
Meaning of Social Influence
Social influence refers to the processes through which individuals affect the attitudes, beliefs, values, feelings and behaviours of others. It takes place through interaction, communication, observation and group pressure. This influence can be direct or indirect, conscious or unconscious, temporary or permanent. Social influence explains how cultures evolve, how social norms are maintained, how trends emerge and how behaviour is shaped in groups.
Features of Social Influence
There are several key characteristics associated with social influence:
- It involves one individual or group influencing another.
- It may operate consciously (intentional persuasion) or unconsciously (imitation).
- It aims to bring about an attitude or behaviour change.
- The duration of influence can be short-lived or enduring, depending on intensity.
- Influence can be beneficial or harmful, depending on context and motives.
- The susceptibility to influence varies between individuals based on personality, confidence, upbringing and cognition.
Forms or Levels of Social Influence (Herbert Kelman)
Herbert Kelman identified three principal forms of influence:
Internalisation
This occurs when an individual adopts beliefs or behaviours because they fit with personal values and moral principles. It leads to deep, stable and long-term attitude change because the transformation is internally justified.
Compliance
Here, individuals change their behaviour in response to direct requests, external pressure, or fear of punishment. Compliance produces surface-level change that may disappear once pressure is removed.
Identification
In identification, individuals alter attitudes and behaviour because they admire, respect or seek to emulate another person or group. Celebrity endorsements, charismatic leaders and role-models operate through this mechanism.
Other Forms of Social Influence
Imitation
Imitation refers to copying others without explicit pressure. It commonly occurs among children and helps in cultural learning.
Persuasion
Persuasion is an intentional attempt to modify attitudes or beliefs using reason, communication, symbolic cues, and emotional appeal. Both verbal and non-verbal methods may be used.
Conformity
Conformity means adjusting behaviour to match group norms, expectations, culture or rules due to real or imagined pressure. It can promote social cohesion but also encourage herd behaviour.
Obedience
Obedience involves following the commands of an authority figure under strong external pressure. It may override personal values or moral judgement.
Aristotle’s Components of Persuasion
Aristotle identified three foundational elements of persuasion:
Logos
Persuasion based on logic, reasoning, evidence and rational argument. It produces more stable and durable change.
Ethos
Persuasion based on the credibility, integrity, expertise and trustworthiness of the speaker. A respected communicator has stronger influence.
Pathos
Persuasion based on emotional appeal. Fear, pride, sympathy or hope can be used to trigger immediate behavioural response.
Principles of Influence
Several psychological principles are commonly used to influence people:
- Obligation (Reciprocity): People generally return favours or generosity.
- Imitation (Social Proof): Individuals tend to follow others when unsure how to act.
- Peer Pressure: People adopt attitudes and habits of their peer group.
- Low-Balling: A low initial offer attracts commitment, after which the actual cost is introduced.
- Foot-in-the-Door: A small initial request increases the likelihood of compliance with a larger request later.
Challenging Beliefs
Attitudes can be changed by:
- Identifying contradictions within beliefs,
- Providing credible information,
- Presenting alternative views,
- Encouraging rational reflection,
- Generating logical counter-arguments.
This process is important for reforming prejudices or unethical behaviour.
Enablers of Social Influence
Factors that increase persuasive power include:
- Peer pressure and group norms,
- Charismatic leadership,
- Hierarchical relationships,
- Practical, beneficial content,
- Effective presentation style and clarity.
Social Persuasion
Social persuasion is an active effort to alter attitudes, beliefs, or feelings using communication strategies. It is related to conformity (group influence) and compliance (external pressure).
Types of Persuasion
Systematic Persuasion
Attitudes are changed through logical arguments, reasoned evidence, and structured communication. This leads to long-term transformation.
Heuristic Persuasion
Attitudes shift due to emotional triggers, habits, superficial cues, or unconscious associations. Such change is often temporary.
Theories of Persuasion
Attribution Theory
Attribution refers to how individuals explain the causes of behaviour:
- Dispositional (internal) attribution: Explains behaviour using personal traits and motives.
- Situational (external) attribution: Explains behaviour using environmental or contextual factors.
This theory influences how people evaluate others.
Classical Conditioning
Repeated exposure to positive stimuli alongside a target object results in favourable attitude formation. Advertising commonly uses this mechanism.
Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
The ELM proposes two routes of persuasion:
- Central Route: Individuals evaluate information carefully based on arguments, benefits and alignment with values. This produces lasting change.
- Peripheral Route: Individuals are influenced by superficial cues such as attractiveness, authority, tone, or aesthetics. This produces short-lived change.
Conclusion
Social influence is a fundamental psychological process that shapes thinking, behaviour and culture. It operates through learning, persuasion, conformity, authority, and emotional mechanisms. Understanding the forms and principles of influence allows administrators, policymakers, educators and leaders to promote ethical, rational and constructive behaviour while preventing manipulation, prejudice and unethical obedience.