social influence essay questions

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PAST PAPERS: SOCIAL INFLUENCE: AQA A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY RESOURCES

Psychology aqa  a-level unit 1: 7182/1.

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THE SYLLABUS 

  CONFORMITY

• Types of conformity – internalisation, identification and compliance
• Asch’s research and variables affecting conformity: group size, unanimity and task difficulty
• Explanations for conformity: informational social influence and normative social influence
• Conformity to social roles as investigated by Zimbardo
• Milgram’s obedience research and situational variables affecting obedience: proximity, location and uniform
• Explanations for obedience: agentic state and legitimacy of authority
• Dispositional explanation for obedience: the Authoritarian Personality

INDEPENDENT BEHAVIOUR

• Explanations of resistance to social influence: social support and locus of control

MINORITY INFLUENCE & SOCIAL CHANGE

• Minority influence including reference to consistency, commitment and flexibility
• The role of social influence processes in social change

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SPECIMEN PAPER 1 ( Psychology A-level revision)

Which of the following terms best matches the statements below? Choose one term that matches each statement and write A, B, C, D or E in the box next to it. Use each letter once only.

A           Identification

B           Informational social influence

C           Normative social influence

D           Compliance

E           Internalisation

• Publically changing behaviour whilst maintaining a different private view. [1 mark]
• Group pressure leading to a desire to fit in with the group. [1 mark]
• When a person lacks knowledge of how to behave and looks to the group for guidance. [1 mark]
• Conforming to the behaviour of a role model. [1 mark]

Briefly outline and evaluate the findings of any one study of social influence.

Read the item and then answer the question that follows.

Two psychology students were discussing the topic of social influence.

‘I find it fascinating how some people are able to resist social influence’, said Jack. ‘It must be the result of having a confident personality.’

‘I disagree’, replied Sarah. ‘I think resisting social influence depends much more on the presence of others.’

Discuss two explanations of resistance to social influence. As part of your discussion, refer to the views expressed by Jack and Sarah in the conversation above.

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SPECIMEN PAPER 2 ( A-level Psychology revision)

Outline two explanations for obedience.

Briefly evaluate one of the explanations that you have outlined in your answer to the question above.

A small group of environmentally-aware sixth form students are campaigning for their school to become ‘paper-free’ for the next six months. Recently, they had a meeting with a group of teachers who represent the teaching staff. The teachers told the students that the school could become ‘paper-free’ if the group of students could convince the rest of the student body it was a good idea.

Use your knowledge of conformity and minority influence to explain the factors that will determine how successful the small group of students will be.

Outline the procedures and findings of Zimbardo`s research into conformity to social roles.

Briefly discuss two criticisms of Zimbardo`s research into conformity to social roles.

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SPECIMEN PAPER 3 ( AQA A-level Psychology revision)

Which two of the following are situational variables that can affect obedience? Choose two from the options A, B, C, D and E.

A           Proximity

B           Flexibility

C           Identification

D           Authoritarian personality

E           Location

Using an example, explain the role of social influence processes in social change.

Steph and Jeff are student teachers who recently joined other members of staff on a one-day strike. When asked why they decided to do so, Steph replied, ‘I never thought I would strike but I listened to the other teachers’ arguments and now I have become quite passionate about it’.

Jeff’s explanation was different: ‘To be honest, everyone else seemed to be striking and I didn’t want to be the only one who wasn’t’.

Discuss explanations for conformity. Refer to Steph and Jeff as part of your discussion.

2017 ( AQA A-level Psychology revision guide)

In an experiment, researchers arranged for participants to complete a very personal and embarrassing questionnaire in a room with other people. Each participant was tested individually. The other people were confederates of the experimenter.

In condition 1: the confederates completed the questionnaire.

In condition 2: the confederates refused to complete the questionnaire and asked to leave the experiment.

The researchers tested 15 participants in condition 1, and 15 different participants in condition 2.

The researchers recorded the number of participants who completed the questionnaire in each condition.

Identify the type of data in this experiment. Explain your answer.

Using your knowledge of social influence, explain the likely outcome of this experiment.

For this study, the researchers had to use different participants in each condition and this could have affected the results.

Outline one way in which the researchers could have addressed this issue.

In order to analyse the difference in the number of participants who completed the questionnaire in each condition, the researchers used a chi-squared test.

Apart from reference to the level of measurement, give two reasons why the researchers used the chi-squared test.

The calculated value of chi-squared in the experiment described on page 2 is 3.97

Table 1: Critical values for the chi-squared test

The calculated value of chi-squared should be equal to or greater than the critical value to be statistically significant.

With reference to the critical values in Table 1, explain whether or not the calculated value of chi-squared is significant at the 5% level.

Discuss the authoritarian personality as an explanation for obedience.

Outline one alternative explanation for obedience.

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2018 ( A-level Psychology resources)

Outline what is meant by ‘agentic state’ as an explanation for obedience.

Jenny is a psychology teacher who works with six other teachers in the department. Jenny believes strongly that homework should not be graded as it distracts students from reading verbal feedback on their work. She would like her colleagues to stop grading work. The other members of the department do not agree but have told Jenny they are willing to have a meeting about it.

Using your knowledge of minority influence, explain how Jenny might be able to persuade the rest of the department to accept her view.

Psychologists investigating social influence have discovered several reasons why people conform.

Discuss what psychological research has told us about why people conform.

2019 ( AQA A-level Psychology resources)

Outline two explanations of resistance to social influence.

In 1987, a survey of 1000 young people found that 540 said they smoked cigarettes, whilst 460 said they did not. In 2017, a similar survey of another 1000 young people found that 125 said they smoked cigarettes, whilst 875 said they did not.

Calculate the ratio of smokers to non-smokers in 2017. Give your answer in simplest form.

Show your workings.

Which statistical test should be used to calculate whether there is a significant difference in reported smoking behaviour between the two surveys? Give three reasons for your answer.

The survey shows that fewer young people are smoking today than in 1987.

Using your knowledge of social influence processes in social change, explain possible reasons for this change in behaviour.

Discuss ethical issues in social influence research.

2020 ( A-level Psychology notes)

Which one of the following is most associated with informational social influence?

Shade one box only.

A           It is an emotional, rather than cognitive, process.

B           It is based on a desire to be liked, rather than a desire to be right.

C           It is more likely to lead to a permanent, rather than temporary, change in attitude.

D           It occurs in unambiguous situations, rather than those where there is no obvious answer.

In a sixth form debating society, Samina is the only student in a group of six who does not believe that drugs should be legalised.

Using your knowledge of minority influence processes, explain two ways in which Samina could convince the other students in the debating society to agree with her.

Researchers have identified different features of science, including:

• replicability
• theory construction
• hypothesis testing.

Explain how Asch’s conformity research illustrates one of these features of science.

It is the end of the school day and Freddie is pushing other students in the bus queue.

“Stop it, will you?” protests one of Freddie’s classmates.

“You can’t tell me what to do!” laughs Freddie.

At that moment, Freddie turns to see the deputy head, wearing a high-visibility jacket, staring angrily at him. Without thinking, Freddie stops pushing the other boys and waits quietly in line.

Discuss the legitimacy of authority and agentic state explanations of obedience. Refer to Freddie’s behaviour in your answer.

2021 ( AQA A-level Psychology notes)

Describe how Zimbardo investigated conformity to social roles.

Fewer and fewer people use single-use plastic items, such as water bottles and plastic straws.

Using your knowledge of social influence processes in social change, explain why fewer and fewer people are using single-use plastic items.

A researcher wanted to investigate whether there was a relationship between locus of control and resistance to social influence. Before the investigation began, he devised a questionnaire to measure locus of control.

Why would the researcher’s questionnaire produce primary data? Suggest one limitation of primary data.

To assess the questionnaire’s validity, the researcher gave it to 30 participants and recorded the results. He then gave the same 30 participants an established questionnaire measuring locus of control. The researcher found a weak positive correlation between the two sets of results, suggesting that his questionnaire had low validity.

Explain how the validity of the researcher’s questionnaire could be improved.

Discuss legitimacy of authority as an explanation for obedience.

2022 ( A-level Psychology revision notes)

Which factors affecting minority influence are illustrated by the following examples?

For each example, write the correct factor in the space provided.

• Members of a religious group give up their Saturday mornings to distribute leaflets about the importance of worship.
• An environmental group acknowledges that recycling can be time-consuming while emphasising its importance for the future of the planet.
• All of the members of the ‘Flat Earth Society’ agree that the Earth is flat and not round.

Name one explanation of resistance to social influence.

A teacher was absent and left work for students to complete during the lesson. Some students in the class did not do the work their teacher had left for them.

Use one possible explanation of resistance to social influence to explain why this happened.

Describe how situational variables have been found to affect obedience. Discuss what these situational variables tell us about why we obey.

the unconscious curriculum

Past paper questions social influence..

All past paper questions on Social Influence

Markschemes at the end.  (Q1 – M1 on markscheme)

Minority influence

Resistance to social influence

Social Change

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Social Influence - Past Exam Questions by Topic

Conformity Exam Questions

Conformity Mark Scheme

Obedience Exam Questions

Obedience Mark Scheme

Resistance Exam Questions

Resistance Mark Scheme

Minority Influence

Minority Influence Exam Questions

Minority Influence Mark Schemes

Social Change

Social Change Exam Questions

Social Change Mark Schemes

Social Influence ESSAYS

Social Influence Essay Questions

Social Influence Essay Mark Schemes

Social Influence Revision Notes

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

Social influence is the process by which an individual’s attitudes, beliefs or behavior are modified by the presence or action of others. Four areas of social influence are conformity, compliance and obedience, and minority influence.

Conformity (Majority Influence)

Conformity is a type of social influence defined as a change in belief or behavior in response to real or imagined social pressure. It is also known as majority influence.

Types of Conformity

Compliance ao1.

This refers to instances where a person may agree in public with a group of people, but the person privately disagrees with the group’s viewpoint or behavior. The individual changes their views, but it is a temporary change.

For example, a person may laugh at a joke because their group of friends find it funny but deep down the person does not find the joke funny.

For a study on compliance refer to Asch’s Line Study .

Internalisation AO1

Publicly changing behavior to fit in with the group while also agreeing with them privately. An internal (private) and external (public) change of behavior. This is the deepest level of conformity were the beliefs of the group become part of the individual’s own belief system.

An example of internalisation is if someone lived with a vegetarian at university and then decides to also become one too because they agree with their friend’s viewpoint / someone converting religions would also be a good example.

For a study on internalisation refer to Jenness (see below).

Identification AO1

Identification occurs when someone conforms to the demands of a given social role in society. For example, a policeman, teacher or politician. This type of conformity extends over several aspects of external behavior. However, there still be no changed to internal personal opinion.

A good example is Zimbardo’s prison study .

AO2 Scenario Question

Jan and Norah have just finished their first year at university where they lived in a house with six other students. All the other students were very health conscious and ate only organic food. Jan had listened to their point of view and now she also eats only organic food.

Norah was happy to eat organic food while in the house, but when she went home for the holidays she ate whatever her mother cooked. Both girls conformed, but for different reasons.

Explain which type of conformity each girl was showing.

“Jan shows internalisation. She has publicly and privately changed her attitudes and now permanently only eats organic food. Norah is showing compliance. She only conformed publicly to her friends’ behavior but had obviously not privately undergone attitude change to eating organic as she reverted to eating non-organic in the holidays. Norah probably conformed to gain group approval and membership whereas Jan believed the other students to be ‘right’ in their belief that organic food was ‘good’.”

Explanations for Conformity

Normative influence (ao1/ao3).

Normative social influence is where a person conforms to fit in with the group because they don’t want to appear foolish or be left out. Normative social influence is usually associated with compliance,

where a person changes their public behavior but not their private beliefs.

For example, a person may feel pressurised to smoke because the rest of their friends are. Normative Social influence tends to lead to compliance because the person smokes just for show but deep down they wish not to smoke. This means any change of behavior is temporary .

For a study on normative influence refer to Asch .

Informational Influence (AO1/AO3)

Informational social influence is where a person conforms because they have a desire to be right , and look to others who they believe may have more information.

This type of conformity occurs when a person is unsure of a situation or lacks knowledge and is associated with internalisation .

An example of this is if someone was to go to a posh restaurant for the first time, they may be confronted with several forks and not know which one to use, so they might look to a near by person to see what fork to use first.

For a study on informational influence refer to Jenness (see below).

Jenness’ Bean Jar Experiment AO1

Jenness carried out a study into conformity – in his experiment participants were asked to estimate how many beans they thought were in a jar. Each participant had to make an individual estimate, and then do the same as a group.

He found that when the task was carried out in a social group, the participants would report estimates of roughly the same value (even though they had previously reported quite different estimates as individuals).

The study was successful in showing majority influence, thus proving that individuals” behavior and beliefs can be influenced by a group. Additionally, this is likely to be an example of informational social influence as participants would be uncertain about the actual number of beans in the jar.

Variables Affecting Conformity

Asch’s line study ao1.

Asch wanted to investigate whether people would conform to the majority in situations where an answer was obvious.

Procedure : In Asch’s study there were 5-7 participants per group. Each group was presented with a standard line and three comparison lines. Participants had to say aloud which comparison line matched the standard line in length. In each group there was only one real participant the remaining 6 were confederates. The confederates were told to give the incorrect answer on 12 out of 18 trails.

Results : Real participants conformed on 32% of the critical trials where confederates gave the wrong answers. Additionally, 75% of the sample conformed to the majority on at least one trial.

Evaluation of Asch’s Study AO3

• This study lacks ecological validity as it was based on peoples’ perception of lines, this does not reflect the complexity of real life conformity.
• There are also sampling issues regarding this study as the study was only carried out on men thus the sample was gender bias and therefore the results cannot be applied to females. The sample therefore lacks population validity.
• Moreover, there are ethical issues regarding Asch’s study – Mention deception as participants were told the study was about perception of lines. As a result, they could not give informed consent. Furthermore, it is possible that the participants may have felt embarrassed when the true nature of the study was revealed. Thus could potentially put them through some form of psychological harm. However, Asch did debrief at the end.
• For extra AO3 points link Asch’s results to theories/reasons why people may conform to the majority. For instance, some participants said they conformed to fit in with the group, this claim coincides (supports) ‘Normative influence’ which states that people conform to fit in when privately disagreeing with the majority.

Factors Affecting Conformity AO3

In further trials, Asch (1952, 1956) changed the procedure (i.e., independent variables) to investigate which situational factors influenced the level of conformity (dependent variable).  His results and conclusions are given below:

Asch altered the number of confederates in his study to see how this effected conformity. The bigger the majority group (number of confederates), the more people conformed, but only up to a certain point.

With one other person (i.e., confederate) in the group conformity was 3%, with two others it increased to 13%, and with three or more it was 32% (or 1/3). However, conformity did not increase much after the group size was about 4/5.

Because conformity does not seem to increase in groups larger than four, this is considered the optimal group size.

Brown and Byrne (1997) suggest that people might suspect collusion if the majority rises beyond three or four.

According to Hogg & Vaughan (1995), the most robust finding is that conformity reaches its full extent with 3-5 person majority, with additional members having little effect.

Group Unanimity

A person is more likely to conform when all members of the group agree and give the same answer.

When one other person in the group gave a different answer from the others, and the group answer was not unanimous, conformity dropped. Asch (1951) found that even the presence of just one confederate that goes against the majority choice can reduce conformity as much as 80%.

Difficulty of Task

When the (comparison) lines (e.g., A, B, C) were made more similar in length it was harder to judge the correct answer and conformity increased.

When we are uncertain, it seems we look to others for confirmation. The more difficult the task, the greater the conformity.

Answer in Private

When participants were allowed to answer in private (so the rest of the group does not know their response) conformity decreases. This is because there are fewer group pressures and normative influence is not as powerful, as there is no fear of rejection from the group.

Conformity to Social Roles

Social roles are the part people play as members of a social group (e.g. student, teacher, policeman etc). There is considerable pressure to conform to the expectations of a social role. Conforming to a social role is called identification.

Stanford Prison Experiment AO1

Zimbardo wanted to investigate how readily people would conform to the social roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing exercise that simulated prison life.

Procedure : To study the roles people play in prison situations, Zimbardo converted a basement of the Stanford University psychology building into a mock prison.

He advertised for students to play the roles of prisoners and guards for a fortnight. Participants were randomly assigned to either the role of prisoner or guard in a simulated prison environment.

Prisoners were issued a uniform, and referred to by their number only. Guards were issued a khaki uniform, together with whistles, handcuffs and dark glasses, to make eye contact with prisoners impossible. The guards worked shifts of eight hours each (the other guards remained on call). No physical violence was permitted.

Zimbardo observed the behavior of the prisoners and guards (as a researcher), and also acted as prison warden.

Findings : Within a very short time both guards and prisoners were settling into their new roles, with the guards adopting theirs quickly and easily. Within hours of beginning the experiment some guards began to harass prisoners. T

hey behaved in a brutal and sadistic manner, apparently enjoying it. Other guards joined in, and other prisoners were also tormented.

The prisoners soon adopted prisoner-like behavior too. They talked about prison issues a great deal of the time. They ‘told tales’ on each other to the guards. They started taking the prison rules very seriously, and some even began siding with the guards against prisoners who did not obey the rules.

As the prisoners became more submissive, the guards became more aggressive and assertive. They demanded ever greater obedience from the prisoners.

The prisoners were dependent on the guards for everything so tried to find ways to please the guards, such as telling tales on fellow prisoners.

Evaluation of Zimbardo’s Study AO3

• Demand characteristics could explain the findings of the study. Most of the guards later claimed they were simply acting. Because the guards and prisoners were playing a role their behavior may not be influenced by the same factors which affect behavior in real life. This means the study’s findings cannot be reasonably generalized to real life, such as prison settings. I.e the study has low ecological validity.
• The study may also lack population validity as the sample comprised US male students. The study’s findings cannot be applied to female prisons or those from other countries. For example, America is an individualist culture (were people are generally less conforming) and the results maybe different in collectivist cultures (such as Asian countries) .
• A strength of the study is that it has altered the way US prisons are run. For example, juveniles accused of federal crimes are no longer housed before trial with adult prisoners (due to the risk of violence against them).
• The study has received many ethical criticisms, including lack of fully informed consent by participants as Zimbardo himself did not know what would happen in the experiment (it was unpredictable). Also, the prisoners did not consent to being “arrested” at home.
• Also, participants playing the role of prisoners were not protected from psychological harm, experiencing incidents of humiliation and distress. For example, one prisoner had to be released after 36 hours because of uncontrollable bursts of screaming, crying and anger. However, in Zimbardo’s defence the emotional distress experienced by the prisoners could not have been predicted from the outset. In addition Zimbardo did conduct debriefing sessions for several years afterwards and concluded they were no lasting negative effects.
• Another strength of the study is that the harmful treatment of participant led to the formal recognition of ethical guidelines . Studies must now gain ethical approval before they are conducted. An ethics committee review whether the potential benefits of the research are justifiable in the light of possible risk of physical or psychological harm. They may request researchers make changes to the studies design or procedure, or in extreme cases deny approval of the study altogether.

Obedience is a type of social influence where a person follows an order from another person who is usually an authority figure.

Explanations for Obedience

Milgram’s shock study ao1.

Milgram wanted to know why Germans were willing to kill Jews during the Holocaust. He thought that it might have been because German’s were just evil.

He thought that Americans were different and would not have followed such orders. To test this ‘German’s are different’ hypothesis he carried out this study (outlined below).

Procedure : Milgram wanted to see whether people would obey a legitimate authority figure when given instructions to harm another human being.

He conducted a lab experiment in which two participants were assigned either the role of a teacher (this was always given to the true participant) or learner (a confederate called Mr. Wallace).

The teacher and learner were put into separate rooms. The teacher was then asked by the experimenter (who wore a lab coat) to administer electric shocks (which were actually harmless) to the learner each time he gave the wrong answer. These shocks increased every time the learner gave a wrong answer, from 15 – 450 volts.

The experimenter (Mr Williams) wore a grey lab coat and his role was to give a series of orders / prods when the participant refused to administer a shock. There were 4 prods and if one was not obeyed then the experimenter read out the next prod, and so on.

• Prod 1: please continue.
• Prod 2: the experiment requires you to continue.
• Prod 3: It is absolutely essential that you continue.
• Prod 4: you have no other choice but to continue.

Results : The results were that all participants went to 300 volts and 65% were willing to go all the way to 450 volts. Milgram did more than one experiment – he carried out 18 variations of his study.

All he did was alter the situation (IV) to see how this affected obedience (DV). For example, when the experimenter instructed and prompted the teacher by telephone from another room, obedience fell to 20.5%.

Evaluation of Milgram’s Study AO3

• A limitation is that this study lacked ecological validity as it was carried out in a lab under artificial conditions. This means that it might not be possible to generalise the finding to a real life setting, as people do not usually receive orders to hurt another person in real life.
• Another problem is that the sample was biased. Milgram only used males in his study and this means we cannot generalise the results to females.
• Highlight the value that Milgram’s work has provided to social Psychology. For instance Milgram’s work gives an insight into why people under the Nazi reign were willing to kill Jews when given orders to do so. It also highlights how we can all be blind to obedience often doing things without question.
• A strength of the study is that it used a standardised procedure because it was a lab experiment. This is good because it improves the reliability of the study and also helps establish a causal relationship.

Ethical Issues AO3

• Deception – the participants actually believed they were shocking a real person, and were unaware the learner was a confederate of Milgram’s.

However, Milgram argued that “illusion is used when necessary in order to set the stage for the revelation of certain difficult-to-get-at-truths”.

Milgram also interviewed participants afterwards to find out the effect of the deception. Apparently 83.7% said that they were “glad to be in the experiment”, and 1.3% said that they wished they had not been involved.

• Protection of participants – Participants were exposed to extremely stressful situations that may have the potential to cause psychological harm. Many of the participants were visibly distressed.

Signs of tension included trembling, sweating, stuttering, laughing nervously, biting lips and digging fingernails into palms of hands. Three participants had uncontrollable seizures, and many pleaded to be allowed to stop the experiment.

Full blown seizures were observed for 3 participants; one so violent that the experiment was stopped.

In his defence, Milgram argued that these effects were only short term. Once the participants were debriefed (and could see the confederate was OK) their stress levels decreased. Milgram also interviewed the participants one year after the event and concluded that most were happy that they had taken part.

• However, Milgram did debrief the participants fully after the experiment and also followed up after a period of time to ensure that they came to no harm.

The Agentic State

Agency theory says that people will obey an authority when they believe that the authority will take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. This is supported by some aspects of Milgram’s evidence.

For example, when participants were reminded that they had responsibility for their own actions, almost none of them were prepared to obey. In contrast, many participants who were refusing to go on did so if the experimenter said that he would take responsibility’.

Another example of the agenetic state involved a variation of Milgram’s study whereby participants could instruct an assistant (confederate) to press the switches. In this condition 92.5% shocked to the maximum 450 volts. This shows when there is less personal responsibility obedience increases.

Limitations AO3

• Cannot explain Nazi behavior – Mandel described how the German Police Reserve shot civilians in a small Polish town even though they were not directly ordered to and were told they could be assigned to other duties – Challenges agentic state as they were not powerless to obey.
• May be better explained by ‘plain cruelty’ – Zimbardo’s participants may have used the situation to express their sadistic tendencies, guards inflicted rapidly escalating cruelty to prisoners even though there was no authority figure telling them to – Obedience may be caused by certain aspects of human nature.

Legitimacy of Authority Figure

Most societies are hierarchal (parents, teachers and police officers hold authority over us). The authority they use is legitimate as it is argued by society, helping it to run smoothly. One of the consequences is that some people are granted the power to punish others.

People tend to obey others if they recognise their authority as morally right and / or legally based (i.e. legitimate). This response to legitimate authority is learned in a variety of situations, for example in the family, school and workplace.

With regard to Milgram” study the experimenter is seen as having legitimate authority as he has scientific status.

If an authority figure’s commands are potentially harmful, for it to be perceived as legitimate they must occur within some type of institutional structure (e.g. a university or the military).

Situational Factors

The Milgram experiment was carried out many times whereby Milgram varied the basic procedure (changed the IV). By doing this Milgram could identify which situational factors affected obedience (the DV).

Obedience was measured by how many participants shocked to the maximum 450 volts (65% in the original study).

Authority Figure Wearing a Uniform

Milgram’s experimenter (Mr. Williams) wore a laboratory coat (a symbol of scientific expertise) which gave him a high status. But when the experimenter dressed in everyday clothes obedience was very low. The uniform of the authority figure can give them status.

Status of Location

Milgram’s obedience experiment was conducted at Yale, a prestigious university in America. The high status of the university gave the study credibility and respect in the eyes of the participants, thus making them more likely to obey.

When Milgram moved his experiment to a set of run down offices rather than the impressive Yale University obedience dropped to 47.5%. This suggests that status of location effects obedience.

Proximity of Authority Figure

People are more likely be obey an authority figure who is in close proximity (i.e. nearby). In Milgram’s study the experimenter was in the same room as the participant (i.e. teacher).

If the authority figure is distant it is easier to resistant their orders. When the experimenter instructed and prompted the teacher by telephone from another room, obedience fell to 20.5%. Many participants cheated and missed out shocks or gave less voltage than ordered to by the experimenter.

Dispositional Explanation: Authoritarian Personality

Adorno felt that personality (i.e. dispositional) factors rather than situational (i.e. environmental) factors could explain obedience. He proposed that there was such a thing as an authoritarian personality, i.e. a person who favours an authoritarian social system and, admires obedience to authority figures.

One of the various characteristics of the authoritarian personality is that the individual is hostile to those who are of inferior status, but obedient of people with high status.

He investigated 2000 middle class, white Americans and their unconscious attitudes towards other racial groups using the F-scale to measure authoritarian personality

• Adorno found many significant correlations (e.g. Authoritarianism correlated with prejudice against minority groups) but we cannot say that one variable causes another – Adorno cannot claim that a harsh parenting style caused a development of an Authoritarian personality, we must consider other explanations like legitimacy of authority.
• Millions of individuals in Germany displayed obedient behavior but didn’t have the same personality, it is unlikely that the majority of Germany’s population possessed an authoritarian personality – An alternative explanation like social identity theory (people identify with groups they are apart with and discriminate against ones they are not) may be more realistic.
• May be better explanations – Prejudice and submissiveness could just as easily be caused by a poor standard of education as a child – Theory lacks internal validity as it assumes obedience is caused by dispositional explanations when it may be situational variables.
• Adorno used a biased sample – Only used 2000 middle class white Americans who are more likely to have an Authoritarian personality due to demographics and the time of the study – Research lacks population validity and historical validity, so conclusions cannot be generalised to people outside the sample.

Resistance to Social Influence

Independent behavior is a term that psychologists use to describe behavior that seems not be influenced by other people. This happens when a person resists the pressures to conform or obey.

Social Support

In one of Asch’s experimental variations he showed that the presence of a dissident (a confederate who did not conform) led to a decrease in the conformity levels in true participants.

This is thought to be because the presence of a dissident gave the true participant social support and made them feel more confident in their own decision and more confident in rejecting the majority position.

Social support also decreases obedience to authority. In a variation of Milgram” study two other participants (confederates) were also teachers but refused to obey. Confederate 1 stopped at 150 volts and confederate 2 stopped at 210 volts. The presence of others who are seen to disobey the authority figure reduced the level of obedience to 10%.

Locus of Control

The term ‘ Locus of control ’ refers to how much control a person feels they have in their own behavior. A person can either have an internal locus of control or an external locus of control.

There is a continuum, with most people lying in between.

People with a high internal locus of control perceive (see) themselves as having a great deal of personal control over their behavior and are therefore more likely to take responsibility for the way they behave. For example, I did well on the exams because I revised extremely hard.

In contrast a person with a high external locus of control perceive their behaviors as being a result of external influences or luck – e.g. I did well on the test because it was easy.

Research has shown that people with an internal locus of control tend to be less conforming and less obedient (i.e. more independent). Rotter proposes that people with internal locus of control are better at resisting social pressure to conform or obey, perhaps because they feel responsible for their actions.

Minority Influence

Minority influence occurs when a small group (minority) influences the opinion of a much larger group (majority). This can happen when the minority behaves in the following ways.

Consistency

Moscovici stated that being consistent and unchanging in a view is more likely to influence the majority than if a minority is inconsistent and chops and changes their mind.

Procedure : Moscovici conducted an experiment in which female participants were shown 36 blue slides of different intensity and asked to report the colours. There were two confederates (the minority) and four participants (the majority).

In the first part of the experiment the two confederates answered green for each of the 36 slides. They were totally consistent in their responses. In the second part of the experiment they answered green 24 times and blue 12 times. In this case they were inconsistent in their answers. A control group was also used consisting of participants only – no confederates.

Findings : When the confederates were consistent in their answers about 8% of participants said the slides were green. When the confederates answered inconsistently about 1% of participants Said the slides were green.

A distinction can be made between two forms of consistency:

(a) Diachronic Consistency – i.e. consistency over time – the majority sticks to its guns, doesn’t modify its views. (b) Synchronic Consistency – i.e. consistency between its members – all members agree and back each other up.

Consistency may be important because:

1. Confronted with a consistent opposition, members of the majority will sit up, take notice, and rethink their position (i.e. the minority focuses attention on itself). 2. A consistent minority disrupts established norms and creates uncertainty, doubt and conflict. This can lead to the majority taking the minority view seriously. The majority will therefore be more likely to question their own views.

When the majority is confronted with someone with self-confidence and dedication to take a popular stand and refuses to back own, they may assume that he or she has a point.

Flexibility

A number of researchers have questioned whether consistency alone is sufficient for a minority to influence a majority. They argue that the key is how the majority interprets consistency. If the consistent minority are seen as inflexible, rigid, uncompromising and dogmatic, they will be unlikely to change the views of the majority.

However, if they appear flexible and compromising, they are likely to be seen as less extreme, as more moderate, cooperative and reasonable. As a result, they will have a better chance of changing majority views.

Some researchers have gone further and suggested that it is not just the appearance of flexibility and compromise which is important but actual flexibility and compromise. This possibility was investigated by Nemeth.

Their experiment was based on a mock jury in which groups of three participants and one confederate had to decide on the amount of compensation to be given to the victim of a ski-lift accident. When the consistent minority (the confederate) argued for a very low amount and refused to change his position, he had no effect on the majority.

However, when he compromised and moved some way towards the majority position, the majority also compromised and changed their view.

This experiment questions the importance of consistency. The minority position changed, it was not consistent, and it was this change that apparently resulted in minority influence.

(a) Name 3 behaviors that enable a minority to influence a majority. (3 marks)

(b) Marcus wants to persuade his group of friends to go travelling in the summer but the rest of the group would like to go on a beach holiday.

Briefly suggest how Marcus might use the 3 behaviors that you have identified in your answer to (a) to persuade his friends to go travelling. (3 marks)

(Total 6 Marks)

(a) Answer. “Consistency, Commitment, Flexibility.” (No need to explain – just name them). (b) Answer. “Marcus should consistently give the same message again and again that the group should go travelling rather than on a beach holiday. He should show commitment to his idea by, for example, investing time in planning and organising his proposed trip. Lastly, he should some flexibility: for example, he could suggest the group go travelling but they will spend quite a bit of time at the beach whilst travelling.”

Social Change

Social change occurs when a whole society adopts a new belief or behavior which then becomes widely accepted as the ‘norm’ which was not before. Social influence processes involved in social change include minority influence (consistency, commitment and flexibility), internal locus of control and disobedience to authority.

Social change is usually a result of minority influence . This is when a small group of people (the minority) manage to persuade the majority to adopt their point of view.

This also links to independent behavior, because the minority resists pressures to conform and/or obey. Usually the minority have an internal locus of control.

Committed minorities, such as those who risk themselves for their cause has an effect on the majority through an augmentation principle, this means the majority value the importance of the cause – as the minority are risking their lives for it.

Through these processes more and more of the majority will gradually change towards the cause resulting in the snowball effect which will ultimately result in societal change, once this has happened social cryptomnesia occurs which is when people can remember a change but not how it came about.

Moscovici found that consistency is the most important factor in deciding whether the minority are influential or not. This means that the minority must be clear on what they are asking for and not change their minds, or disagree amongst themselves. This creates uncertainty amongst the majority.

Moscovici investigated the importance of consistency. He had a group of 6 participants and a range of blue/ green slides varying in intensity – they all had to state the colour they saw.

The study had two conditions, confederates who consistently said green and an inconsistent group and a control group with no confederates. He found that the consistent minority group had a greater effect on the other participants than the inconsistent group. This confirms that consistency is a major factor in minority influence.

It has been found that once the minority begin to persuade people round to their way of thinking, a snowball effect begins to happen. This means that more and more people adopt the minority opinion, until gradually the minority becomes the majority.

At this point, the people who have not changed their opinion are the minority, and they will often conform to the majority view as a result of group pressures.

The majority opinion then becomes law, and people have to obey this law. Once this happens, the minority opinion has become the dominant position in society, and people do often not even remember where the opinion originated from. This is a process known as crypto amnesia .

Further social influence research from Asch and Milgram demonstrates that a minority can have an affect on the majority – both studies involved a dissenter or disobedient role model who influenced the behavior of the majority. However, there are methodological issues in these areas of research: these studies are both based on artificial tasks (judging line lengths).

The application of minority influence is further limited due to the importance of identification which is overlooked in minority influence research. Psychologists have suggested that people are less likely to behave in environmentally friendly ways due to the negative connotations associated with them (“tree huggers”).

Minorities wanting social change should avoid behaviors that reinforce social change – essentially off-putting to the majority.

This suggests that being able to identify with a minority group is just as important as agreeing with their views in order to change the behavior of the major.

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Example Answers for Social Influence: A Level Psychology, Paper 1, June 2018 (AQA)

Last updated 15 Dec 2019

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Here are some example answers to the Paper 1 question on Social Influence in the 2018 AQA exams.

Section A – Social: Q1 [2 Marks]

The ‘agentic state’, as an explanation for obedience, occurs when an individual carries out the orders of an authority figure and acts as their ‘agent’, with little personal responsibility and reduced moral strain for their actions. The shift from autonomy (exercising free will) to ‘agency’ of obeying others is referred to as the ‘agentic shift’.

Section A – Social: Q2 [6 Marks]

In order for Jenny (the minority), to persuade the rest of her psychology department (the majority) she must show consistency, commitment and flexibility in her views about marking.

Firstly, Jenny could show consistency by continually repeating the same message about the benefits of verbal feedback – that it prevents the students from becoming distracted over their grades – in each of the department meetings.

Secondly, Jenny could show commitment to this view by explaining how she is making a personal sacrifice, by investing time in researching the best teaching strategies for marking and working hard to ensure that students have the best quality feedback on their work.

Finally, Jenny could show flexibility by listening to the other members of her department and agree to a compromise. They may agree to trial a marking strategy that involves verbal feedback with a reduced emphasis on grading. This will make Jenny appear less rigid and dogmatic.

Section A – Social: Q3 [16 Marks]

There are two key explanations about why people conform: informational social influence and normative social influence. Normative social influence (NSI) is when a person conforms to be accepted and to feel like they belong to a group. Here a person conforms because it is socially rewarding, or to avoid social rejection; for example, feeling like they don’t ‘fit in’.

Asch’s (1956) study into conformity provides research support for normative social influence. He found that many of the participants went along with the majority and provided an obviously incorrect answer on a line judgement task. When questioned by Asch in post-experimental interviews, participants said that they changed their answer to avoid disapproval from the rest of the group which clearly shows that NSI had occurred, as the participants conformed to fit in. Furthermore, Asch demonstrated that when the pressure to publicly conform is removed, by asking participants to write down their answers on a piece of paper rather than say them aloud, the conformity rates fell to 12.5%. This provides further evidence for NSI because the reduction in public pressure reduced the rate of conformity.

While the Asch study provides support for the notion of NSI, more recent research has yielded different results. For example, Perrin and Spencer (1980) conducted an Asch-style experiment and found a conformity level of 0.25%. Therefore, it could be argued that the results of Asch are the results of a different era and do not represent conformity and the idea of NSI in 2017. However, it must be noted that Perrin and Spencer used a very different sample to Asch, consisting of engineering and mathematic students. Therefore, it can be that the lower levels of conformity were also influenced by the participant’s expertise in problem-solving tasks.

However, NSI is not the only reason that people conform and some people conform to for informational reasons. Informational Social Influence (ISI) is when a person conforms to gain knowledge, or because they believe that someone else is ‘right’. Informational social influence is usually associated with internalisation, where a person changes both their public behaviour and their private beliefs, on a long-term basis. This semi-permanent change in behaviour and belief is the result of a person adopting a new belief system because they genuinely believe that their new beliefs are ‘right’ or that the majority are ‘experts’.

Jenness (1932) provides research support for the role of informational social influence. Participants were asked to initially make independent judgements about the number of jelly beans contained in a jar and then discuss their estimates in a group. Following the discussion, participants then made another individual private estimate. Jenness found that this second private estimate moved closer to the group estimate and that females typically conformed more. This shows that ISI will occur in unfamiliar, ambiguous situations as the participants believed they gained knowledge from the group and are now more likely to be right.

While Jenness provides convincing evidence for the role of ISI, it must be noted that his experiment has been criticised for lacking ecological validity. Providing an estimate of the number of beans in a jar is a rather mundane task with no social consequences. Consequently, it is legitimate to question whether we would display such levels of ISI in tasks that have more significant social consequences, for example, hearing evidence in a court case from an ‘expert’ barrister. Therefore, until further research examining ISI is conducted in the real-world, these results remain confined to the laboratory.

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• Social Influence
• Social Support: Social Influence
• Normative Social Influence
• Informational Social Influence
• Identification: Social Influence

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Explanations for conformity, resistance to social influence - locus of control, minority influence - consistency and commitment, conformity - asch (1951), minority influence - flexibility, our subjects.

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Psychology Social Influence 16 mark Example Essay Bundle

Subject: Psychology

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

19 August 2021

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This pack includes an example 16 mark essay response for each topic within the Social Influence section of AQA psychology A-Level. These are written by myself at A/A* level (usually graded around 12-16 out of 16). In most of my answers I use the general structure of either 1 or 2 paragraphs of AO1 (description) and 4 paragraphs of AO3 (evaluation and issues and debates). Some may be structured differently due to the topic having more or less content than the others. In the cases where there are more paragraphs than required for a 16 mark question (around 6), you can choose the topics you feel comfortable discussing - I have simply provided example paragraphs for all of the options

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Aqa a-level social influence essay (16 mark) questions with answers.

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Aqa A-level social influence essay questions or 16 mark questions with answers, and some extra questions that I found which I never answered and some that were never marked. (My teacher lost them!!!)

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Social Influence Essays (Examples)

1000+ documents containing “social influence” .

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Social influence theory marketing message description for real.

Social Influence Theory Marketing Message/Description for Real Miracle of Nature' "Little Siva" on the Facebook and other social media pages: For centuries, the people of India have used the nuts and flowers of the Sapindus tree as a universal washing detergent. This tree has amazing powers and produces a substance to help it keep insects away called saponin. This fully biodegradable and 100% natural soap can be found exclusively in the flowers and nut shells. This Real Miracle of Nature? offers you a detergent that is 100% natural. hen the nut shell is in contact with the water, it releases a soapy liquid that makes little foam. The saponin is a surfactant (detergent) that removes grease and cleans and protects your skin. hen the nut shell is in contact with the water, it releases a soapy liquid that makes little foam. The saponin is a surfactant (detergent) that removes grease and cleans and protects….

Works Cited

Dholakia, Utpal M., Bagozzi, Richard P., & Pearo, Lisa Klein. (2004). A social influence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-

based virtual communities. International Journal of Research in Marketing,

Social Influence and Persuasion

Social Influence and Persuasion Social influence is believed to occur when an individual's emotions, behaviors, or opinions are influenced by others'. Compliance, identification, internalization are the three broad varieties of social influence that have since been identified. Compliance occurs when people agree with others' opinions while keeping their dissenting opinions private. Identification is normally associated with very popular people like the celebrities. Such people easily influence people who believe in them. Internalization does happen when people, either publicly or privately, accept a belief or a behavior. Social influence and persuasion are an integral tenet of communication. Persuasion is a form of social influence where audiences are intentionally encouraged to adopt an idea or a course of action through symbolic means. Activities that other people who stay around you engage are likely to determine how you behave. It is true that people differ from one another. However, some people have a tendency of….

References List

Fiske, S.T. (2009). Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Vaughan, G. & Hogg, M.A. (2005). Introduction to Social Psychology. Brisbane: Pearson

Education Australia.

Social Influences on Behaviour Social Influences on

Social Influences on Behaviour Social Influences on Behavior Free-iding Groupthink People differ in their views and actions when they are responsible for them and when not. Particularly speaking in the context of society and group, people tend to adopt the most favorable behavior so that they are cherished for success and not blamed for failure. The psychological behavior changes from situation to situation. Social Influences on Behavior There is a famous saying man is a social animal. This saying is as true today as it was decades ago. This saying depicts complete psychological pattern of human being that they want to mix up with their fellow beings. They enjoy the company of their fellow beings and tend to learn from each other. There is another famous saying birds of a feather flock together. This proverb shows another characteristic of human beings' psychology that they enjoy the company of those human beings who match their perceptions and interests.….

Hellriegel, D. And Slocum, J. (2007). Organizational Behavior. USA: Cengage Learning

Martin, J. (2005). Organizational Behavior and Management. USA: Cengage Learning

Northouse, P. (2009). Leadership Theory and Practice. USA: SAGE

Sanderson, C. (2009). Social Psychology. USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Social Influences How Behavior Differs

Example The same group of competitive students, after college acceptance letters have been mailed, goes together on a senior trip, for one last time. A a. Social facilitation: Students are on their best behavior for the period before the trip, because they know that any infraction may result in its cancellation, which will injure the entire group. A b. Co-actors: The student senior class as a whole feels a sense of unity, because it is their last event together. A c. Social loafing: Students go on the trip, which is expensive and required many fundraising efforts, who did not participate in those efforts, but no one rebukes them because they are seniors. A d. Groupthink: All students feel sentimental about leaving school, because everyone is crying and acting nostalgic, even students who disliked the school. A e. Attribution: Students feel a sense of 'class togetherness' because they are commonly labeled as seniors. A f. Prejudice and discrimination: Seniors draw away from their junior….

Epstein, Sam. (2006) "College Admissions Rates Decline, Admissions More

Competitive." College Admissions Guide, College Search Advice. Retrieved 5 Nov 2006 at http://college-search-and-colleges.blogspot.com/2006/05/college-acceptance-rates-decline.html

Social Influence in January 2004

The study also asked whether people would develop paranormal beliefs more readily if those in a higher life status than themselves would promote such beliefs. Social influence refers to changes in feelings, beliefs, values or behaviors that result from the actions of others. Examples of influenced behaviors may include: following orders at work (obedience to authority), dressing like one's peers (conformity to a group), and convincing a friend to change her vote in an upcoming election (persuasion) (Thye, 2002)." The research study found that most people have developed some belief in a paranormal existence. It further discovered that many of those beliefs were strengthened because of social influence. Social influence is also used in marketing. When the marketing department of certain products or services are able to convince potential customers that everyone else believes in their particular product or service it is easier to sell the product to the new customers. The soldiers who….

Abernathy, Thomas J.(1993) Predicting cigarette smoking among adolescents using cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches. Journal of School Health

Hasenauer, Heike (2004) Righting the wrongs of Abu Ghraib: in January 2004 a concerned military police Soldier at a prison near Baghdad reported what he believed to be a pattern of inappropriate behavior by his fellow MPs. Soldiers Magazine

Paynton, Carolyn F. (1995) the effects of status cues on choices of social power and influence strategies. The Journal of Social Psychology

Thye, Shane R. (2002) Social influence and the power of the pyramid.

Social Influence on Teenagers the

Peer pressure can also have its positive effects on teenagers. Just as teenagers can be influence by their peers to engage in high-risk and unhealthy behaviors, they can also be influenced to make positive choices. Positive choices can include joining a volunteer project, getting good grades because their social group values good grades, trying out for sports, joining academic clubs, artist interests, and overall encouragement to succeed ("Peer pressure: it's," 2011). Social influence is a successful tool to promote positive behaviors. The negative impacts of social influence, especially among teenagers, are more widely studied by psychologists and sociologists and their findings generally create more media attention. As teenagers strive for acceptance from their peers, it is understandable while teenagers would give in to the "pressure" to conform. For the majority of teenagers, fitting in means doing what the group is doing, whether it is smoking cigarettes, taking drugs, bullying, hazing,….

Caildini, R, & Trost, M. (1998). Social influence: social norms, conformity, and compliance. In D. Gilber (Ed.), The Handbook of Social Psychology (pp. 151-181). New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.

Hirshleifer, D. (1995). The blind leading the blind: social influence, fads and informational cascades. In k Ierulli (Ed.), New Economics of Human Behaviour (pp. 188-215). Cambridge University Press.

Morgan, M, & Grube, J. (1991). Closeness and peer group influence. British Journal of Social

Psychology, 30, 159-169.

Social Influence and Conflict

Social Influence Can Undermine the Wisdom of Crowd Effect" by Lorenz and colleagues (2010) demonstrates how social context can really have a strong influence on the way in which social groups can sway the way in which conflict is perceived. This article demonstrates how even the mildest social influence can undermine the wisdom of a crowd in simple estimation activities (Lorenz et al., 2010). In this experiment, participants were given the option of reconsidering their responses to certain factual questions after they were given the general consensus of the responses of their peers (Lorenz et al., 2010). The researchers would then compare the convergence of estimates of each subject with the improvements in overall accuracy over a period of time in comparison with control conditions where no other info was provided (Lorenz et al., 2010). Ultimately, what the researchers found was that "Although groups are initially 'wise,' knowledge about….

Deutsch, M., Coleman, P., & Marcus, E. (2011). he Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons.

Dickman, A. (2010). Complexities of conflict: the importance of considering social factors for effectively resolving human -- wildlife conflict. Animal Conservation, 458 -- 466.

Lorenza, J., Rauhutb, H., Schweitzera, H., & Helbingb, D. (2010, June 23). How social influence can undermine the wisdom of crowd effect. Retrieved from PNAS.org:  http://www.pnas.org/content/108/22/9020.full

Impact of Social Influence

Social influence is the way in which one or more people alter the attitudes or the behavior of others the mere presence of others can change our behavior, as illustrated by the results from studies in which research participants perform some task either alone or in the presence of others. Typically, people in groups perform better (social facilitation), but sometimes their performance is worse in a group or with an audience. One attempt to reconcile these divergent findings proposes that the presence of others increases arousal and strengthens highly dominant responses. If the dominant response is the correct one, performance will be facilitated. If the dominant response is incorrect, performance will be hindered. Another form of social influence is conformity. Studies indicate that we sometimes conform because we believe the group to be right or to have information we don't possess. Members often conform to group opinions even though they privately….

Need for affiliation (acknowledgment, validation)

Social influence as obedience to authority is where a person or a group obeys the direct commands or orders of an authority (person or institution) -- a matter of compliance with the orders of another person or group of people. There is not only a personal need to agree with others but strong pressure exerted by the group on any person with different opinions to comply with the majority. Promises, arguments, and threats are used to get agreement. If someone steadfastly refuses to agree with the group, he/she is frequently rejected and ignored. Usually the more deviant group members (those taking an extreme position) and the entire group move in the direction favored by the majority. This has become known as group polarization (Deaux & Wrightsman, 1984). It can be thought of as a "jump on the band wagon" effect or "go along with the majority" effect. However, we do not yet know under what conditions private opinions are actually changed, if they are, in these more complex situations. Perhaps as we learn more about a certain opinion and argue for it, we come to believe it more. Perhaps we just don't want to make waves. Perhaps we "know which side of our bread is buttered." It's all compliance. There are other specific conditions in which we tend to comply with direct requests. For instance, once we have granted one request, we are more likely to comply with another request. So a salesperson will make a small request first: "May I ask you a few questions?" And "May we sit down?" Finally, "May I order you one?" This is called the "foot in the door" technique. Another approach is the "door in the face" technique: first, someone makes a very large request of you and you say "no" (that's the door in the face). They graciously accept your refusal and then a few days or weeks later the same person approaches you with a much more modest request. You are more likely to comply this time than if you had never been approached.

Stanley Milgram's observations on obedience to authority have exerted a great deal of influence on such diverse disciplines as social psychology, holocaust studies, and political science. According to Milgram, the essence of obedience consists in the fact that a person comes to view himself as the instrument for carrying out another person's wishes, and he therefore no longer sees himself as responsible for his actions. Once this critical shift of viewpoint has occurred in the person, all of the essential features of obedience follow.

Cultural and Social Influence of Neoclassical Artist

Cultural and Social Influence of Neoclassical Artist (Antonio Canova) Antonio Canova Culture and social influence of the Neoclassical artists Antonio Canova's life was mainly of sculptor because his father, Pietro Canova, was a stonecutter of Possagno. His became brought up with his grandfather, Pasino Canova (1714-94), who was a mediocre sculptor specializing in altars with low reliefs and statues in late Baroque style such as Crespano. In 1770 Antonio became an apprenticed of the sculptor Giuseppe Bernardi in Pagnano, in Asolo, and in Venice. After the death of Bernardi, he decided to work in the studio of the sculptor Giovanni Ferrari (1744 -- 1826) for a few months. While in Venice, Antonia got a chance to study the nude at the Accademia and the plaster casts of famous antique sculptures in the collection of Filippo Farsetti. This is where his first independent work was placed (two Baskets of Fruit). Antonio Canova became one of….

Copplestone, T. And B. Myers, eds.The History of Art: Architecture, Painting, Sculpture. 5th ed. London: Hamlyn, (1996).

Craske, Matthew. Art in Europe 1700-1830: A History of the Visual Arts in an Era of Unprecedented Urban Economic Growth. Oxford: Oxford University Press.(1997)

Honour, H.Neoclassicism. London: Pelican Books. (1968).

Kleiner, F.S. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Global History. 13th ed. Boston, MA: Thomson Wadsworth. (2009).

Group Social Influence Group Orientation and Social

Group Social Influence Group Orientation and Social Influence Human behaviors are not always guided by personal feelings or internal urges. To the contrary, human behavior is inextricably linked to the context with in which it is committed. In other words, we often behave according to certain standards, norms, expectations and ideals that have originated outside of us and typically in broader systems like families, cultural identities, communities, ethnicities and nationalities. These social systems are often directly at the root of behavioral patterns and tendencies, and may help us to explain human behaviors as they occur en masse. In the field of behavioral psychology, B.F. Skinner stands above others for the insight which he would provide on the relationship between individual behaviors and their broader social contexts. B.F. Skinner's ideas regarding operant behavior are crucial to understanding the way that group orientation causes individuals to behave. Human beings, Skinner would surmise, could be understood….

Works Cited:

Boeree, C. George. (2006). B.F. Skinner. Shippensburg University.

Janis, I. (2003). Groupthink. Group and Public Communication: McGraw-Hill.

Lahey, Benjamin B. (2007). Psychology, introduction (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill

Social Influence and Methodology

This scoring model is specifically used for managing the representativeness of the sample. In conjunction with this quantitative approach, Harris Interactives' researchers (Eccleston, Griseri, 2008) also relied on focus groups to further validate their hypotheses from a qualitative standpoint as well. The result was that each of the three groups was statistically proven to be significant in both online and offline interactions. Assessment of Methodology Effectiveness Harris Interactives approach to stratifying their online panels by role requires an intensive level of psychographic analysis (Eccleston, Griseri, 2008) in addition to a research design that controls for sampling error. For the research team the control of extraneous effects on the study also included the timeframe, choice of online questionnaire approach and random sampling as defined by Harris' proprietary propensity score weighting methodology required a phased approach to completing the study. The use of iterative sampling is inherent in the Harris Interactive methodology and….

Derek Eccleston, Luca Griseri. (2008). How does Web 2.0 stretch traditional influencing patterns? International Journal of Market Research, 50(5), 591. September, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1569170581).

Sociology Social Influences on Health

In terms of the plainness of gendered inequalities in the health and longevity of women, compared with men, the majority world demands our notice. The world-wide toll in terms of women's raised levels of mortality and morbidity corroborates that limited or negligible access to political power, land-ownership, education, sexual self-determination and earning ability has detrimental bodily effects (Bradby, 2009). While sociologists have long studied the aspect of illness, it has only been recently that they have turned their attention to the development of sociology of health. Sociologists' interest in health emerged in part in reaction to the biomedical mode, which focused primarily on disease. A more holistic approach to health and healing, sociologists argued, must also encompass the idea of positive health and well-being. The concept of health itself needs to be explored, and such exploration must take lay perspectives into account. A holistic, or socio-environmental, model of health also….

Albrecht, Gary L., Fitzpatrick, Ray and Scrimshaw, Susan. 2003. "Handbook of Social Studies

in Health and Medicine." Sage Publications: California.

Bradby, Hannah. 2009. "Virtual Special Issue on feminism and the sociology of gender, health and illness." Sociology of Health and Wellness. Available at:

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/shil_enhanced/virtual2_full.asp

Business Economic Political Legal and Social Influences

Business Economic, Political, Legal and Social Influences on McDonalds McDonalds is a well-known fast food chain which is impacted by a wide range of macro environmental influences. To remain successful it is necessary for the firm to be able to adjust and adapt to these changes. Some of the most important factors include economic, political, legal and social issues. The aim of this paper is to assess the way in which these factors may impact on the firm and assess the way that the firm has responded and may respond in the future. key influence within the global economy which has impacted on many firms has been the recession. The general pattern seen in economies during a recession is a decrease in income leading to an aggregate decrease in demand (Nellis and Parker, 2006). The goods and services which are most sensitive to a decrease in demand are the non-essential goods and….

A key influence within the global economy which has impacted on many firms has been the recession. The general pattern seen in economies during a recession is a decrease in income leading to an aggregate decrease in demand (Nellis and Parker, 2006). The goods and services which are most sensitive to a decrease in demand are the non-essential goods and services bought out of discretionary spending (Nellis and Parker, 2006). McDonald's food is convenience and is not essential, so it is susceptible to a decrease in demand. The firm did see a decrease in some sales in some areas following the start of the recession. The overall results for the firm demonstrated a decreased by 3.3% in 2009, when the turnover fell to $22,745 million compared to $23,522 million in 2008 (McDonalds, 2010). However, the firm showed a smaller decrease compared to many other fast food firms and also managed to recover with a range of strategies.

The menu was adapted and the firm introduced a specific menu selection for the budget conscious; in the U.S. this was the dollar saver menu, in the UK it was the pound saver menu. This included a number of existing items highlighted as well as small specific items introduced, such as the Chicken Mayo in the UK. The firm has also tapped into the provision of alternate products competing with firms that traditionally had higher prices, benefiting from the downshifting of spending. This has included increased ranges of gourmet coffee to provide a lower cost alterative to Starbucks (Newsweek, 2010). There has also be the introduction of other premium drinks, such as smoothies, which is also credited with helping to increase sales by up to 15% in the U.S. (New York Post, 2011). This extension into related goods, which fit in with the menu, but may be seen as a value offering compared to other market suppliers appears to be a very successful strategy which may be extended. As the economy improves and more income is available this may also be a strategy which may also be used to increase the range at the upper end of the menu range.

There are also political influences. A major influence is value added tax, (VAT), a sales tax added by government, In the UK this was recently increased to 20%, which effectively increased the price of products. Many of the measures dealing with the economic issues will be useful here; due to the influence tax has on price. However the firm may also face an interest choice in the future; in a recent European case brought by a German fast food burger seller saw a ruling which stated that VAT should not be paid on food sold for immediate consumption (Bridge, 2011). So far governments, including the UK government have not made any changes, in the UK the government claims this would not have any impact, but it appears that the firm,

Social Psychology Examining the Principles of Persuasion Influencing Group Behavior

Social Psychology: Examining the Principles of Persuasion Influencing Group Behavior Introduction & Outline of the esearch Evaluation Concepts of Social Psychology Attitudes and Persuasion Social Identity Theory Social Influences Cultural and Gender Influences Social Psychology: Examining the Principles of Persuasion Influencing Group Behavior Introduction & Outline of the Essay Social psychology deals with different aspects of social life and social behavior. People not only have feelings and opinions about nearly everything they come into contact with, but the argument has been made that we need to have these feelings and opinions. The current essay is aimed at exploring the principles of persuasion influencing group behavior. The foundation for this essay is text book "Social Psychology" by Myers (2010) which discusses the attitude theory and persuasion, reviewing how attitudes are structured and how this structure influences their susceptibility to change The essay is divided into four sections. In the first section the researcher will evaluate latest research and pertinent literature allied to….

Baker, David P. And Deborah Perkins Jones. 1993. "Creating Gender Equality: Cross-national Gender Stratification and Mathematical Performance." Sociology of Education 66:91-103.

Bassili, J.N. (2008). Attitude strength. In W.D. Crano & R. Prislin, (Eds.), Attitudes and attitude change, Frontiers of social psychology. New York, NY; Psychology Press, pp. 261-286.

Cialdini, R.B. 2001. Influence: Science and Practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Eagly, A.H. & Chaiken, S. (1993) The Psychology of Attitudes. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Social Psychological Concept Normative Social

The reason for this is that the phenomenon generally occurs within groups. Individuals who function in a group often do so differently than when left upon their own. To conduct the study, one individual and one group of people should be observed in two separate rooms. The individual will be able to observe the group by means of a one-way window. The group will be unaware of the individual. All the group members except one were told to clap their hands in unison when a piece of rhythmic music begins to play. The individual in the adjacent room will observe this behavior as well as be able to hear the music. As soon as the music begins to play, it is hypothesized that the person without prior coaching will be initially surprised. The other group members will overtly or covertly stare at the person or encourage him or her to participate.….

ChangingMinds.org. (2010). Normative Social Influence. Retrieved from  http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/normative_social_influence.htm 

Lord, Kenneth R., Myung-Soo Lee, Peggy Choong (2001), "DIFFERENCES in NORMATIVE and INFORMATIONAL SOCIAL INFLUENCE," in Advances in Consumer Research Volume 28, eds. Mary C. Gilly and Joan Meyers-Levy, Valdosta, GA: Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 280-285.

McLeod, S.A. (2007) Simply Psychology [Online] UK: Available: http://www.simplypsychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk / Accessed: March 15, 2010

I\'m looking for essay topic ideas on theft in schools. Do you have any suggestions?

1. The prevalence of theft in schools and its impact on students and staff 2. The role of technology in preventing and addressing theft in schools 3. The psychological effects of being a victim of theft in a school environment 4. Strategies for promoting a culture of honesty and accountability in schools to reduce theft 5. The consequences of theft in schools on academic performance and school culture 6. The relationship between socioeconomic factors and theft in schools 7. Investigating the reasons behind why students steal in schools 8. The effectiveness of disciplinary measures in deterring theft in schools 9. The role of parents and the community in....

I need a spark of inspiration! Can you share some captivating essay topics related to public opinion and socialization?

1. The impact of social media on shaping public opinion 2. How political polarization affects public perception and socialization 3. The role of propaganda in influencing public opinion 4. The influence of culture and cultural norms on socialization 5. The connection between public opinion and social movements 6. The role of education in shaping public opinion and socialization 7. The impact of mass media on public opinion and socialization 8. The role of peer groups in socialization and shaping public opinion 9. The influence of family dynamics on public opinion formation 10. The relationship between public opinion and government policies. 11. The effects of socialization on individual behavior and decision-making 12.....

Business - Advertising

Social Influence Theory Marketing Message/Description for Real Miracle of Nature' "Little Siva" on the Facebook and other social media pages: For centuries, the people of India have used the nuts and flowers…

Social Influence and Persuasion Social influence is believed to occur when an individual's emotions, behaviors, or opinions are influenced by others'. Compliance, identification, internalization are the three broad varieties of…

Social Influences on Behaviour Social Influences on Behavior Free-iding Groupthink People differ in their views and actions when they are responsible for them and when not. Particularly speaking in the context of society…

Example The same group of competitive students, after college acceptance letters have been mailed, goes together on a senior trip, for one last time. A a. Social facilitation: Students are on their…

The study also asked whether people would develop paranormal beliefs more readily if those in a higher life status than themselves would promote such beliefs. Social influence refers to changes…

Research Paper

Peer pressure can also have its positive effects on teenagers. Just as teenagers can be influence by their peers to engage in high-risk and unhealthy behaviors, they can…

Social Influence Can Undermine the Wisdom of Crowd Effect" by Lorenz and colleagues (2010) demonstrates how social context can really have a strong influence on the way in…

Social influence is the way in which one or more people alter the attitudes or the behavior of others the mere presence of others can change our behavior, as…

Art  (general)

Cultural and Social Influence of Neoclassical Artist (Antonio Canova) Antonio Canova Culture and social influence of the Neoclassical artists Antonio Canova's life was mainly of sculptor because his father, Pietro Canova, was…

Group Social Influence Group Orientation and Social Influence Human behaviors are not always guided by personal feelings or internal urges. To the contrary, human behavior is inextricably linked to the context…

Research Proposal

Education - Computers

This scoring model is specifically used for managing the representativeness of the sample. In conjunction with this quantitative approach, Harris Interactives' researchers (Eccleston, Griseri, 2008) also relied on…

Sports - Women

In terms of the plainness of gendered inequalities in the health and longevity of women, compared with men, the majority world demands our notice. The world-wide toll in…

Business Economic, Political, Legal and Social Influences on McDonalds McDonalds is a well-known fast food chain which is impacted by a wide range of macro environmental influences. To remain successful it…

Social Psychology: Examining the Principles of Persuasion Influencing Group Behavior Introduction & Outline of the esearch Evaluation Concepts of Social Psychology Attitudes and Persuasion Social Identity Theory Social Influences Cultural and Gender Influences Social Psychology: Examining the…

The reason for this is that the phenomenon generally occurs within groups. Individuals who function in a group often do so differently than when left upon their own.…

Social Influence Essay

Social Influence And Conformity

The Power behind Social Influence & Conformity The article “Social Influence on Risk Perception during Adolescence” by Lisa j. Knoll, Lucia Magis-Weinberg, Maarten Speekenbrink, and Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, explores the relationship between social influence and risk taking. The authors acknowledge that adolescence is a time in life where risk taking is more likely to occur with peers than alone. However it is not just adolescence that are victims of peer pressure. People of all ages are constantly

Examples Of Social Influence

There are people who say exactly what’s on their mind, ignoring other’s thoughts, then there are those who feel they have to change what they want to say. This is called social influence, there are many layers to what this means. According to these authors social influence is everywhere and people are affected by it in many different ways. People who are socially influenced might be insecure or simply doing it unconsciously. For example in “Monkey See, Monkey Do, Monkey Connect,” Frans de Waal talks

Personal Responsibility And Social Influence

Personal Responsibility vs. Social Influence Personal responsibility is greatly affected by social influence in today’s society. A&P by John Updike is a short story which exemplifies this belief. Social influence occurs when one 's emotions, opinions, or behaviors are affected by others. In this story, Sammy is a store clerk, tending to his personal responsibility of working and making money to support his household. This is later tarnished as a result of Sammy’s attempt to maintain an image, he

Social Influences On Social Influence

Social Influence Name Institution Course Title Date Submitted Introduction This paper looks into social influence, which includes how our perception and interactions with others influence our thoughts and behaviors and which is also mostly studied under social psychology. Scholars familiar with social psychology such as Smith, Mackie & Claypool (2014) define it as the study of how perception as well as interactions with people gets to influence such people’s behavior and thoughts. According

How Social Influences Have On Participants

Materials and Methods This study will focus on the impact social influences have on participants when asked to listen to songs played backwards containing subliminal messages and whether being told that a particular song contains secret messages will impact their responses. This study will take into consideration past studies conducted by researchers Thorne (1984) and Vokey (1985) whom support that the role of suggestion can influence peoples perceptions of secret messages in rock and roll recordings

Personal Relationshipnces : Personal And Social Influences For Parents

to realise the personal and social influences that are you possess as an individual and what you may be passing forth to the child or dependent. There are many personal influences including culture/ traditions, religion. Own upbringing, previous experience, education, multiple commitments and more. And there are numerous social influences that can persuade the parents including media stereotypes, community attitudes and gender expectation. There are three major influences that will project on the parenting

The Negative Effects Of Social Influence On Identity Development

Social influence is present in all areas of human lives. Society influences people's perceptions, attitudes, judgments, opinions or behaviors. That is why every individual modifies their action based on the interaction they have with their environment. This influence is due to the relationship with people, groups, institutions and with society in general. The environment has a bad influence on identity development because people tend to follow what the others say and assimilate of themselves. Society

Environmental And Social Influences Of A Person 's Environment

Environmental and Social Influences Studies have shown the impact a person’s environment can have on their upbringing, their attitude, their personality, and how they adapt or handle tough situations. No truer words are apparent with adolescents and how their environments can lead to substance abuse. For many adolescents, risk factors, such as family problems and community violence frequently lead to substance abuse (McWhirter et al., 2013). Society is very good at encouraging people just to do

Social Influence Research - Do the Ends Justify the Means? Essay

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The Influence Of Social Psychology

People are labeled as good or evil depending on their actions, but your moral compass may not always be responsible for your actions according to Social Psychology. There are many situational factors that can influence to decisions we make and cause us to conform, comply and obey. Our own free will comes into question when we consider how much social influence we are actually subject to. People can be persuaded to devote their lives to helping others just as easily as they can be driven to participate

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Likes, Shares, and Beyond: Exploring the Impact of Social Media in Essays

Table of contents

• 1 Definition and Explanation of a Social Media Essay
• 2.1 Topics for an Essay on Social Media and Mental Health
• 2.2 Social Dynamics
• 2.3 Social Media Essay Topics about Business
• 2.4 Politics
• 3 Research and Analysis
• 4 Structure Social Media Essay
• 5 Tips for Writing Essays on Social Media
• 6 Examples of Social Media Essays
• 7 Navigating the Social Media Labyrinth: Key Insights

In the world of digital discourse, our article stands as a beacon for those embarking on the intellectual journey of writing about social media. It is a comprehensive guide for anyone venturing into the dynamic world of social media essays. Offering various topics about social media and practical advice on selecting engaging subjects, the piece delves into research methodologies, emphasizing the importance of credible sources and trend analysis. Furthermore, it provides invaluable tips on structuring essays, including crafting compelling thesis statements and hooks balancing factual information with personal insights. Concluding with examples of exemplary essays, this article is an essential tool for students and researchers alike, aiding in navigating the intricate landscape of its impact on society.

Definition and Explanation of a Social Media Essay

Essentially, when one asks “What is a social media essay?” they are referring to an essay that analyzes, critiques, or discusses its various dimensions and effects. These essays can range from the psychological implications of its use to its influence on politics, business strategies, and social dynamics.

A social media essay is an academic or informational piece that explores various aspects of social networking platforms and their impact on individuals and society.

In crafting such an essay, writers blend personal experiences, analytical perspectives, and empirical data to paint a full picture of social media’s role. For instance, a social media essay example could examine how these platforms mold public opinion, revolutionize digital marketing strategies, or raise questions about data privacy ethics. Through a mix of thorough research, critical analysis, and personal reflections, these essays provide a layered understanding of one of today’s most pivotal digital phenomena.

Great Social Media Essay Topics

When it comes to selecting a topic for your essay, consider its current relevance, societal impact, and personal interest. Whether exploring the effects on business, politics, mental health, or social dynamics, these social media essay titles offer a range of fascinating social media topic ideas. Each title encourages an exploration of the intricate relationship between social media and our daily lives. A well-chosen topic should enable you to investigate the impact of social media, debate ethical dilemmas, and offer unique insights. Striking the right balance in scope, these topics should align with the objectives of your essays, ensuring an informative and captivating read.

Topics for an Essay on Social Media and Mental Health

• The Impact of Social Media on Self-Esteem.
• Unpacking Social Media Addiction: Causes, Effects, and Solutions.
• Analyzing Social Media’s Role as a Catalyst for Teen Depression and Anxiety.
• Social Media and Mental Health Awareness: A Force for Good?
• The Psychological Impacts of Cyberbullying in the Social Media Age.
• The Effects of Social Media on Sleep and Mental Health.
• Strategies for Positive Mental Health in the Era of Social Media.
• Real-Life vs. Social Media Interactions: An Essay on Mental Health Aspects.
• The Mental Well-Being Benefits of a Social Media Detox.
• Social Comparison Psychology in the Realm of Social Media.

Social Dynamics

• Social Media and its Impact on Interpersonal Communication Skills: A Cause and Effect Essay on Social Media.
• Cultural Integration through Social Media: A New Frontier.
• Interpersonal Communication in the Social Media Era: Evolving Skills and Challenges.
• Community Building and Social Activism: The Role of Social Media.
• Youth Culture and Behavior: The Influence of Social Media.
• Privacy and Personal Boundaries: Navigating Social Media Challenges.
• Language Evolution in Social Media: A Dynamic Shift.
• Leveraging Social Media for Social Change and Awareness.
• Family Dynamics in the Social Media Landscape.
• Friendship in the Age of Social Media: An Evolving Concept.

Social Media Essay Topics about Business

• Influencer Marketing on Social Media: Impact and Ethics.
• Brand Building and Customer Engagement: The Power of Social Media.
• The Ethics and Impact of Influencer Marketing in Social Media.
• Measuring Business Success Through Social Media Analytics.
• The Changing Face of Advertising in the Social Media World.
• Revolutionizing Customer Service in the Social Media Era.
• Market Research and Consumer Insights: The Social Media Advantage.
• Small Businesses and Startups: The Impact of Social Media.
• Ethical Dimensions of Social Media Advertising.
• Consumer Behavior and Social Media: An Intricate Relationship.
• The Role of Social Media in Government Transparency and Accountability
• Social Media’s Impact on Political Discourse and Public Opinion.
• Combating Fake News on Social Media: Implications for Democracy.
• Political Mobilization and Activism: The Power of Social Media.
• Social Media: A New Arena for Political Debates and Discussions.
• Government Transparency and Accountability in the Social Media Age.
• Voter Behavior and Election Outcomes: The Social Media Effect.
• Political Polarization: A Social Media Perspective.
• Tackling Political Misinformation on Social Media Platforms.
• The Ethics of Political Advertising in the Social Media Landscape.
• Memes as a Marketing Tool: Successes, Failures, and Pros of Social Media.
• Shaping Public Opinion with Memes: A Social Media Phenomenon.
• Political Satire and Social Commentary through Memes.
• The Psychology Behind Memes: Understanding Their Viral Nature.
• The Influence of Memes on Language and Communication.
• Tracing the History and Evolution of Internet Memes.
• Memes in Online Communities: Culture and Subculture Formation.
• Navigating Copyright and Legal Issues in the World of Memes.
• Memes as a Marketing Strategy: Analyzing Successes and Failures.
• Memes and Global Cultural Exchange: A Social Media Perspective.

Research and Analysis

In today’s fast-paced information era, the ability to sift through vast amounts of data and pinpoint reliable information is more crucial than ever. Research and analysis in the digital age hinge on identifying credible sources and understanding the dynamic landscape. Initiating your research with reputable websites is key. Academic journals, government publications, and established news outlets are gold standards for reliable information. Online databases and libraries provide a wealth of peer-reviewed articles and books. For websites, prioritize those with domains like .edu, .gov, or .org, but always critically assess the content for bias and accuracy. Turning to social media, it’s a trove of real-time data and trends but requires a discerning approach. Focus on verified accounts and official pages of recognized entities.

Analyzing current trends and user behavior is crucial for staying relevant. Platforms like Google Trends, Twitter Analytics, and Facebook Insights offer insights into what’s resonating with audiences. These tools help identify trending topics, hashtags, and the type of content that engages users. Remember, it reflects and influences public opinion and behavior. Observing user interactions, comments, and shares can provide a deeper understanding of consumer attitudes and preferences. This analysis is invaluable for tailoring content, developing marketing strategies, and staying ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Structure Social Media Essay

In constructing a well-rounded structure for a social media essay, it’s crucial to begin with a strong thesis statement. This sets the foundation for essays about social media and guides the narrative.

Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is the backbone of your essay, outlining the main argument or position you will explore throughout the text. It guides the narrative, providing a clear direction for your essay and helping readers understand the focus of your analysis or argumentation. Here are some thesis statements:

• “Social media has reshaped communication, fostering a connected world through instant information sharing, yet it has come at the cost of privacy and genuine social interaction.”
• “While social media platforms act as potent instruments for societal and political transformation, they present significant challenges to mental health and the authenticity of information.”
• “The role of social media in contemporary business transcends mere marketing; it impacts customer relationships, shapes brand perception, and influences operational strategies.”

Social Media Essay Hooks

Social media essay hooks are pivotal in grabbing the reader’s attention right from the beginning and compelling them to continue reading. A well-crafted hook acts as the engaging entry point to your essay, setting the tone and framing the context for the discussion that will follow.

Here are some effective social media essay hooks:

• “In a world where a day without social media is unimaginable, its pervasive presence is both a testament to its utility and a source of various societal issues.”
• “Each scroll, like, and share on social media platforms carries the weight of influencing public opinion and shaping global conversations.”
• “Social media has become so ingrained in our daily lives that its absence would render the modern world unrecognizable.”

Introduction:

Navigating the digital landscape, an introduction for a social media essay serves as a map, charting the terrain of these platforms’ broad influence across various life aspects. This section should briefly summarize the scope of the essay, outlining both the benefits and the drawbacks, and segue into the thesis statement.

When we move to the body part of the essay, it offers an opportunity for an in-depth exploration and discussion. It can be structured first to examine the positive aspects of social media, including improved communication channels, innovative marketing strategies, and the facilitation of social movements. Following this, the essay should address the negative implications, such as issues surrounding privacy, the impact on mental health, and the proliferation of misinformation. Incorporating real-world examples, statistical evidence, and expert opinions throughout the essay will provide substantial support for the arguments presented.

Conclusion:

It is the summit of the essay’s exploration, offering a moment to look back on the terrain covered. The conclusion should restate the thesis in light of the discussions presented in the body. It should summarize the key points made, reflecting on the multifaceted influence of social media in contemporary society. The essay should end with a thought-provoking statement or question about the future role of social media, tying back to the initial hooks and ensuring a comprehensive and engaging end to the discourse.

Tips for Writing Essays on Social Media

In the ever-evolving realm of digital dialogue, mastering the art of essay writing on social media is akin to navigating a complex web of virtual interactions and influences. Writing an essay on social media requires a blend of analytical insight, factual accuracy, and a nuanced understanding of the digital landscape. Here are some tips to craft a compelling essay:

• Incorporate Statistical Data and Case Studies

Integrate statistical data and relevant case studies to lend credibility to your arguments. For instance, usage statistics, growth trends, and demographic information can provide a solid foundation for your points. Case studies, especially those highlighting its impact on businesses, politics, or societal change, offer concrete examples that illustrate your arguments. Ensure your sources are current and reputable to maintain the essay’s integrity.

• Balance Personal Insights with Factual Information

While personal insights can add a unique perspective to your essay, balancing them with factual information is crucial. Personal observations and experiences can make your essay relatable and engaging, but grounding these insights in factual data ensures credibility and helps avoid bias.

• Respect Privacy

When discussing real-world examples or case studies, especially those involving individuals or specific organizations, be mindful of privacy concerns. Avoid sharing sensitive information, and always respect the confidentiality of your sources.

• Maintain an Objective Tone

It is a polarizing topic, but maintaining an objective tone in your essay is essential. Avoid emotional language and ensure that your arguments are supported by evidence. An objective approach allows readers to form opinions based on the information presented.

• Use Jargon Wisely

While using social media-specific terminology can make your essay relevant and informed, it’s important to use jargon judiciously. Avoid overuse and ensure that terms are clearly defined for readers who might not be familiar with their lingo.

Examples of Social Media Essays

Title: The Dichotomy of Social Media: A Tool for Connection and a Platform for Division

Introduction

In the digital era, social media has emerged as a paradoxical entity. It serves as a bridge connecting distant corners of the world and a battleground for conflicting ideologies. This essay explores this dichotomy, utilizing statistical data, case studies, and real-world examples to understand its multifaceted impact on society.

Section 1 – Connection Through Social Media:

Social media’s primary allure lies in its ability to connect. A report by the Pew Research Center shows that 72% of American adults use some form of social media, where interactions transcend geographical and cultural barriers. This statistic highlights the platform’s popularity and role in fostering global connections. An exemplary case study of this is the #MeToo movement. Originating as a hashtag on Twitter, it grew into a global campaign against sexual harassment, demonstrating its power to mobilize and unify people for a cause.

However, personal insights suggest that while it bridges distances, it can also create a sense of isolation. Users often report feeling disconnected from their immediate surroundings, hinting at the platform’s double-edged nature. Despite enabling connections on a global scale, social media can paradoxically alienate individuals from their local context.

Section 2 – The Platform for Division

Conversely, social media can amplify societal divisions. Its algorithm-driven content can create echo chambers, reinforcing users’ preexisting beliefs. A study by the Knight Foundation found that it tends to polarize users, especially in political contexts, leading to increased division. This is further exacerbated by the spread of misinformation, as seen in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election case, where it was used to disseminate false information, influencing public opinion and deepening societal divides.

Respecting privacy and maintaining an objective tone, it is crucial to acknowledge that social media is not divisive. Its influence is determined by both its usage and content. Thus, it is the obligation of both platforms to govern content and consumers to access information.

In conclusion, it is a complex tool. It has the unparalleled ability to connect individuals worldwide while possessing the power to divide. Balancing the personal insights with factual information presented, it’s clear that its influence is a reflection of how society chooses to wield it. As digital citizens, it is imperative to use it judiciously, understanding its potential to unite and divide.

Delving into the intricacies of social media’s impact necessitates not just a keen eye for detail but an analytical mindset to dissect its multifaceted layers. Analysis is paramount because it allows us to navigate through the vast sea of information, distinguishing between mere opinion and well-supported argumentation.

This essay utilizes tips for writing a social media essay. Statistical data from the Pew Research Center and the Knight Foundation lend credibility to the arguments. The use of the #MeToo movement as a case study illustrates its positive impact, while the reference to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election demonstrates its negative aspects. The essay balances personal insights with factual information, respects privacy, maintains an objective tone, and appropriately uses jargon. The structure is clear and logical, with distinct sections for each aspect of its impact, making it an informative and well-rounded analysis of its role in modern society.

Navigating the Social Media Labyrinth: Key Insights

In the digital age, the impact of social media on various aspects of human life has become a critical area of study. This article has provided a comprehensive guide for crafting insightful and impactful essays on this subject, blending personal experiences with analytical rigor. Through a detailed examination of topics ranging from mental health and social dynamics to business and politics, it has underscored the dual nature of social media as both a unifying and divisive force. The inclusion of statistical data and case studies has enriched the discussion, offering a grounded perspective on the nuanced effects of these platforms.

The tips and structures outlined serve as a valuable framework for writers to navigate the complex interplay between social media and societal shifts. As we conclude, it’s clear that understanding social media’s role requires a delicate balance of critical analysis and open-mindedness. Reflecting on its influence, this article guides the creation of thoughtful essays and encourages readers to ponder the future of digital interactions and their implications for the fabric of society.

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