Download PSYCHOLOGY (9th Edition) David Myers

Manipulation 101
Social Psych
Ch. 17
Social Influence
“Social psychology’s great lesson is the
enormous power of social influence.”
Defined as a change in behavior caused by real
or imagined pressure from others.
NON SEQUITER © 2000 Wiley. Dist. by Universal
Press Syndicate Reprinted with Permission
Manipulation Trifecta + 1
• Conformity
– Changing one’s behavior to match the
responses or actions of others
• Compliance: Get ‘em to do what you want!
• Obedience
• Manipulation and attraction
Conformity & Chameleon Effect
Adjusting to coincide with a perceived standard.
Automatic (unconscious) mimicry is part of empathy.
Conformity & Modeling
Behavior is
contagious, modeled
by one followed by
another.
We follow behavior of
others to conform.
Elevator Study
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-t0OwWc0Qw
Conformity and Group Pressure
• We’re all individuals! …I’m not.”
– Suggestibility is a subtle type of conformity, adjusting our
behavior or thinking toward some group standard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRh5qy09nNw
Asch’s Famous Line Study of Conformity
Conformity & Brain-Washing
• Starts off SMALL
• Unlikely someone would agree to the
request:
“How would you like to drop out of school/quit your job,
break off all ties to your family/friends, and dedicate
yourself entirely to an organization of hatred or an
organization that will result in your compelled group
suicide?”
Conformity & Brain-Washing
Starts off SMALL and then the
requests/demands slowly increase
“Like lobsters in a Pot”
Final Minutes At Jonestown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJFaqrU3HfQ
Pictures of the Heaven's
Gate mansion released by
the San Diego sheriff's
department illustrate the
uniformity that defined the
cult. Members of Heaven's
Gate were so ordered they
died in shifts.
Otto von Bismarck:
“A Unified Germany”
1890
Young Hitler:
“German Workers’ Party”
“For the working class”
“Socialist”
1919
Little by little, Hitler
rose to power and
got a nation to back
him & his ideologies.
1933
Conditions that Strengthen
Conformity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
One is made to feel incompetent or insecure.
The group has at least three people.
The group is unanimous.
One admires the group’s status and
attractiveness.
One has no prior commitment to a response.
The group observes one’s behavior.
One’s culture strongly encourages respect for a
social standard.
Manipulation Trifecta + 1
• Conformity
• Compliance: Get ‘em to do what you want!
– Changing one’s behavior in response to a
direct request.
• Obedience
• Manipulation and attraction
Compliance Techniques
•
•
•
•
•
•
Foot-in-the-door technique
Door-in-the-face technique
Bait-and-switch technique
That’s-not-all technique
Scarcity technique
Reciprocity norm technique
Get People to Do What You Want!
• Foot-in-the-door technique: Get them to
agree to a small request and then build up
(203): she called me
screaming that i shouldn't
ignore her phone calls,
because she's not trying to
get me to hang out with her
and she doesn't want to be
my girlfriend, she just
wants sex.
(860): what did you do?
(203): i asked her out
cause that's so hot.
Get People to Do What You Want!
• Foot-in-the-door technique
• Door-in-the-face technique: You WANT
them to say “no” to the first request so you
can follow up with your more benign, real
request.
Get People to Do What You Want!
• Foot-in-the-door technique
• Door-in-the-face technique
• Bait-and-switch technique
“Pray for Rain” Sale
Customer: "I'd like to see that car you
advertised in the newspaper for $9
down and $99 a month.“
Salesperson: "Gosh, I'm sorry. That
car was just sold. But look at
this great car — it has a lot more
options, and it will only cost you a few
more dollars a month."
“Would you like to go out to
this really super-swanky
expensive restaurant with me?
... I tried calling [LIAR!!], it's
booked up. Well…would you
like to go with me to this
cheapo place?”
Get People to Do What You Want!
• Foot-in-the-door technique
• Door-in-the-face technique
• Bait-and-switch technique
• That’s-not-all technique
Get People to Do What You Want!
•
•
•
•
Foot-in-the-door technique
Door-in-the-face technique
Bait-and-switch technique
That’s-not-all technique
• Scarcity technique: when an item
appears to be scarce, it becomes
more desireable
2. You MUST be able to be scarce when the time is right. A woman
does not want to end up with a guy that ends up being her permanent
shadow. She wants to be with a guy that has his own life and does his
own thing. This is what creates that appeal with a woman that keeps her
wanting you. Talk to her for 3-7 minutes and then LEAVE! Make her
wonder about you…You can always come back later for the kill!
Get People to Do What You Want!
•
•
•
•
•
Foot-in-the-door technique
Door-in-the-face technique
Bait-and-switch technique
That’s-not-all technique
Scarcity technique
• Reciprocity norm technique:
give a little something and
people are more likely to
reciprocate
“Free” samples…harder for you to not
buy at least something if you take one
Get ‘em in a Group: Bystander Effect
Tendency of any given
bystander to be less
likely to give aid if other
bystanders are present.
Bystander Effect: Diffusion of Responsibility
Kitty Genovese
Bystander Intervention: The decision-making
Akos Szilvasi/ Stock, Boston
Manipulation Trifecta + 1
• Conformity
• Compliance: Get ‘em to do what you want!
• Obedience
– Changing one’s behavior in response to a
directive from an authority figure.
• Manipulation and attraction
Obedience & Captainitis
• Obvious errors made by
flight captains tend to go
uncorrected by other crew
and usually results in a
crash.
• Because of the captain’s
status, crew either fail to
notice OR fail to challenge
the mistake
• Often the case in the
medical field as well
– Doctors tend not to get
challenged
(Foushee, 1984)
Obedience & Harming Others
People comply to social
pressures. How would
they respond to outright
command?
Stanley Milgram
designed a study that
investigates the effects of
authority on obedience.
Stanley Milgram
(1933-1984)
Both Photos: © 1965 By Stanley Miligram, from the
film Obedience, dist. by Penn State, Media Sales
Obedience: Milgram’s Study
Milgram’s Study: Results
Lessons from the Conformity and
Obedience Studies
In both Asch's and Milgram's studies,
participants were pressured to choose between
following their standards and being responsive
to others.
In Milgram’s study, participants were torn
between hearing the victims pleas and the
experimenter’s orders.
Manipulation & Attraction
• The Psychology of Attraction
– Proximity
– Mere Exposure
– Looking Good
– Perceived similarity
The Psychology of Attraction
• Proximity:
Geographic
nearness is a
powerful predictor
of relationships.
– Absence makes
the heart grow
fonder but, out of
sight, out of mind!
The Psychology of Attraction
• Mere exposure
effect: Repeated
exposure to novel
stimuli increases
their attraction.
Beauty Pageant Winner
The Psychology of Attraction
• Physical
Attractiveness: Once
proximity affords
contact, the next most
important thing is
looking good!
(whatever “looking good” means to the person of interest)
The Psychology of Attraction
• Similarity: Similar
views among
individuals causes the
bond of attraction to
strengthen.
Similarity breeds content!
(Fake it if you have to!)
Passionate Love
Schachter’s Two-factor theory of emotion
1. Physical arousal plus
cognitive appraisal
2. Arousal from any source can
enhance one emotion
depending upon what we
interpret or label the arousal.
So….do the fun, active dates and hope the
arousal is attributed to you and your
awesomeness!
(Then get to the spaghetti dinners…)
Companionate Love
Deep, affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.
Use operant conditioning techniques to get your loved one to do what you want!
Courtship and Matrimony (from the collection of Werner Nekes)