1. Introduction: Why Social Influence & Persuasion Matter
Human behaviour is shaped not only by individual beliefs but also by social expectations, peer pressure, group identity, authority structures, and communication strategies. Even people with strong personal values may act differently when surrounded by powerful social influences.
In public life, social influence and persuasion explain why individuals:
- follow orders from authority even if they conflict with conscience
- conform to group culture and organisational norms
- respond to campaigns, awareness programs and public messaging
- behave ethically or unethically depending on their environment
Understanding these two processes is essential for analysing attitude formation, attitude change, ethical decision-making and behavioural reform in society and governance systems.
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(External Forces)"]:::o A --> C["Persuasion
(Intentional Communication)"]:::o B --> D["Group Norms · Authority · Peer Pressure"]:::g C --> E["Messages · Appeals · Campaigns"]:::g
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2. SOCIAL INFLUENCE: Meaning & Core Idea
Social Influence refers to the ways in which an individual’s thoughts, attitudes, and behaviours are shaped by people, groups, institutions, norms and authority structures.
It operates continuously, sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously. Social influence can create ethical uplift (positive norms) or lead to ethical decline (corrupt or prejudiced norms).
Key insight: People often adopt behaviours not because they personally believe in them, but because the social environment expects them to behave that way.
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3. Types of Social Influence
Social influence appears in multiple forms. Some create temporary behaviour changes; others produce deep and lasting internal changes. Understanding the distinctions helps explain why individuals sometimes act ethically and sometimes fail despite good values.
A. Compliance
Compliance occurs when a person changes behaviour to gain a reward or avoid a penalty, without changing their internal attitude.
It is driven by:
- external pressure
- fear of negative consequences
- desire to maintain peace or avoid punishment
Example: A subordinate follows an unethical instruction because refusing may lead to transfer or harassment.
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B. Identification
Identification happens when a person adopts behaviour or attitudes because they admire, respect, or wish to be associated with a person or group.
The change is deeper than compliance but not fully internal. It depends on the relationship with the admired group/leader.
Example: Officers imitate the punctuality or discipline of a respected senior.
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C. Internalisation
Internalisation is the deepest form of social influence where the behaviour or attitude becomes part of one’s own value system. It occurs when the influence aligns with personal beliefs or moral principles.
Internalised change is stable, long-lasting, and independent of external pressure.
Example: After witnessing the benefits of transparency, a person deeply believes in the value of open governance and refuses corruption internally—not due to fear, but conviction.
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D. Conformity (Normative & Informational)
Conformity is adjusting behaviour to match group norms. It happens in two forms:
1. Normative Conformity → to gain acceptance or avoid rejection 2. Informational Conformity → to follow people who seem more knowledgeable
Example: – Junior officers follow department culture “as it is” to fit in (normative). – During a crisis, teams rely on expert guidance (informational).
flowchart LR classDef g fill:#E8F8F5,stroke:#148F77,color:#117864; classDef o fill:#FEF5E7,stroke:#E67E22,color:#6E2C00; A["Group Norms"]:::g --> B["Normative Conformity"]:::o A --> C["Informational Conformity"]:::o B --> D["Fit-In Behaviour"]:::g C --> E["Follow Experts"]:::g
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E. Obedience
Obedience is the strongest form of social influence where behaviour changes because an authority figure gives a direct order.
People may obey even when they internally disagree, especially under:
- strict hierarchies
- fear of punishment
- legitimate authority
- belief that “authority knows best”
Milgram’s experiments famously showed that people obey harmful orders under authoritative pressure.
flowchart LR classDef g fill:#E8F8F5,stroke:#148F77,color:#117864; classDef o fill:#FEF5E7,stroke:#E67E22,color:#6E2C00; A["Authority Command"]:::g --> B["Obedience"]:::o B --> C["Behaviour Changes
even if Attitude doesn't"]:::g
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F. Social Norm Influence
Social norms are shared expectations about “how people should behave.” They guide behaviour through:
- Descriptive norms – what most people do
- Injunctive norms – what society approves or disapproves
Norms can uplift society (honesty, rule-following) or create decay (corruption, favourism).
flowchart TB classDef g fill:#E8F8F5,stroke:#148F77,color:#117864; classDef o fill:#FEF5E7,stroke:#E67E22,color:#6E2C00; A["Social Norms"]:::g --> B["Descriptive Norms
'What people do'"]:::o A --> C["Injunctive Norms
'What people should do'"]:::o B --> D["Follow Majority Behaviour"]:::g C --> E["Follow Approved Behaviour"]:::g
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G. Diffusion of Responsibility
In groups, responsibility gets distributed, reducing personal accountability. People think “others will take responsibility,” which encourages unethical behaviour.
Example: Officials justify wrongdoing by saying “everyone does it.”
flowchart LR classDef g fill:#E8F8F5,stroke:#148F77,color:#117864; classDef o fill:#FEF5E7,stroke:#E67E22,color:#6E2C00; A["Group Setting"]:::g --> B["Responsibility Spread Out"]:::o B --> C["Reduced Personal Accountability"]:::g C --> D["Unethical Behaviour More Likely"]:::o
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4. PERSUASION: Meaning & Core Idea
Persuasion is a deliberate process of using communication (spoken, written, visual or symbolic messages) to bring about a change in a person’s attitude, belief or behaviour. It is intentional and goal-directed.
Unlike ordinary social influence (which may be indirect and unplanned), persuasion involves:
- a source (who persuades)
- a message (what is being conveyed)
- a channel (how it is delivered)
- a receiver (who is targeted)
- a desired change (target attitude/behaviour)
Persuasion is central to public campaigns, leadership communication, policy advocacy, citizen engagement, and to promoting ethical norms in organisations and society.
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(Leader, Institution)"]:::g --> B["Message
(Content, Appeal)"]:::o B --> C["Channel
(Media, Face-to-Face)"]:::g C --> D["Receiver
(Audience)"]:::o D --> E["Change in
Attitude/Behaviour"]:::g
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5. Yale Model of Persuasion (Hovland)
The Yale Model focuses on who says what to whom and how. It examines four main elements that determine whether persuasion will succeed:
- Source – the communicator
- Message – the content and structure
- Channel – the medium of delivery
- Audience – characteristics of the receiver
A. Source Factors
The credibility and characteristics of the source strongly influence persuasion:
- Credibility – expertise and trustworthiness (e.g., domain expert, reputed institution)
- Attractiveness – likability, charisma, relatability
- Power & Authority – official position, legitimacy
A message from a trusted, knowledgeable and honest source is more readily accepted.
B. Message Factors
How the message is designed also affects persuasion:
- Clarity – simple, direct, understandable language
- Order – strong arguments placed at beginning or end
- One-sided vs Two-sided – two-sided messages (acknowledging counter-arguments) work better for educated or sceptical audiences
- Emotional Tone – using fear, hope, pride, empathy appropriately
- Concrete Examples & Stories – make abstract issues vivid and relatable
C. Channel Factors
The medium of communication shapes how the message is received:
- Face-to-face – allows dialogue and clarification
- Mass media – broader reach but less feedback
- Digital and social media – interactive, faster spread but risk of misinformation
D. Audience Factors
The nature of the audience determines what kind of persuasion will work:
- Existing attitudes – strong prior attitudes resist change
- Intelligence and education – more educated audiences respond better to logical arguments
- Involvement – highly involved people think more deeply, low involvement relies on surface cues
- Mood – positive mood can increase openness to messages
The model suggests that effective persuasion requires optimising all four elements: a credible source, well-structured message, suitable channel, and understanding of the audience.
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6. Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) explains how deeply people think about a message and how this depth of processing determines the strength and durability of attitude change.
It proposes two main routes to persuasion:
- Central Route – careful, thoughtful consideration of the arguments
- Peripheral Route – reliance on superficial cues such as source, visuals or slogans
A. Central Route Persuasion
In the central route, people actively process information:
- They pay attention to content, logic, evidence.
- They evaluate pros and cons, compare alternatives, and integrate with existing knowledge.
- This route is used when the topic is personally important and the person has ability and motivation to think carefully.
Result: Attitude change is deep, stable and resistant to counter-persuasion. It also strongly predicts future behaviour.
Example: Citizens carefully studying a detailed policy note on data privacy, then revising their attitude based on reasoned arguments.
B. Peripheral Route Persuasion
In the peripheral route, people do not deeply process the content. Instead, they rely on simple cues or heuristics:
- “This expert is famous, so what she says must be right.”
- “Most people support this, so it must be good.”
- “The advertisement looks attractive and emotionally moving.”
This route is used when:
- the issue feels unimportant or distant
- people are busy, distracted or tired
- they lack the ability or knowledge to process detailed arguments
Result: Attitude change is often temporary and unstable; it can be easily reversed by new cues or messages.
Example: Supporting a campaign mainly because a favourite film star endorses it.
C. Factors Determining Route Selection
- Motivation – Is the topic personally relevant?
- Ability – Does the person have time, knowledge and mental energy to think?
- Opportunity – Is the setting conducive for careful thought?
Ethical public communication should aim, as far as possible, to encourage central processing by presenting clear, honest and well-reasoned information, especially for important civic issues.
flowchart TB
classDef g fill:#E8F8F5,stroke:#148F77,color:#117864;
classDef o fill:#FEF5E7,stroke:#E67E22,color:#6E2C00;
A["Message Exposure"]:::g --> B{"Motivation & Ability High?"}:::o
B --> C["Yes → Central Route"]:::g
B --> D["No → Peripheral Route"]:::g
C --> E["Careful Processing of Arguments"]:::o
E --> F["Strong, Stable Attitude Change"]:::g
D --> G["Reliance on Cues
Source · Looks · Slogans"]:::o
G --> H["Weak, Temporary Attitude Change"]:::g
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7. Cognitive Dissonance & Persuasion
Cognitive Dissonance theory (Festinger) states that when people hold inconsistent beliefs, attitudes or behaviours, they experience psychological discomfort. To reduce this discomfort, they may change their attitudes or behaviour.
Persuasion can work by deliberately creating or highlighting such inconsistencies.
A. Dissonance as a Driver of Attitude Change
- People want to see themselves as reasonable and moral.
- When this self-image clashes with their actions, they feel tension.
- To resolve it, they may either justify the action or change the underlying attitude.
Example: Someone who sees themselves as “law-abiding” but routinely violates traffic rules is more likely to accept a persuasive campaign that encourages safe driving once the inconsistency is highlighted.
B. Commitment & Consistency in Public Life
- Public commitments (signing integrity pledges, taking oaths) create a psychological pressure to act consistently.
- Later, if one is tempted to act unethically, dissonance with the earlier commitment may restrain misconduct.
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'I am honest'"]:::g --> B["Unethical Act"]:::o B --> C["Cognitive Dissonance"]:::g C --> D["Change Behaviour
(Act honestly)"]:::o C --> E["Change Attitude
('Everyone is corrupt')"]:::o
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8. Social Judgment Theory
Social Judgment Theory explains how people judge new messages by comparing them with their existing attitudes.
It proposes three “latitudes” or zones:
- Latitude of Acceptance – range of ideas a person finds reasonable or acceptable
- Latitude of Rejection – range of ideas they find unacceptable
- Latitude of Non-commitment – range of ideas they feel neutral or unsure about
A message is more likely to persuade if it falls within the latitude of acceptance, or close to its boundary. If it falls in the latitude of rejection, it may actually strengthen the opposite attitude (boomerang effect).
Implication: For effective persuasion, messages should start from where the audience is, and move gradually rather than demanding extreme change.
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9. Techniques of Persuasion (Brief Overview)
Various techniques are used in public life, media, governance and everyday interactions to influence attitudes and behaviour:
- Logical appeals – facts, statistics, rational arguments
- Emotional appeals – fear, hope, pride, empathy
- Moral appeals – reference to justice, fairness, duty, rights
- Social proof – “most people are doing this”
- Authority appeal – reliance on experts and respected figures
- Foot-in-the-door – start with small request, then enlarge
- Door-in-the-face – start with big request, then retreat to smaller one
- Framing and nudges – presenting choices in a way that steers decisions without force
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10. Social Influence vs Persuasion – Key Differences
| Aspect | Social Influence | Persuasion |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Broad, includes norms, authority, culture, group pressure | Specific, intentional communication process |
| Intentionality | May be unplanned or automatic | Usually deliberate and strategic |
| Main Mechanism | Group norms, roles, authority, majority behaviour | Arguments, appeals, messages, framing |
| Target | Attitude or behaviour (often behaviour first) | Primarily attitudes, which then affect behaviour |
| Examples | Peer pressure, obedience, conformity to office culture | Awareness campaigns, speeches, advertisements |
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11. Relevance for Ethical Behaviour & Public Life
Social influence and persuasion are crucial for understanding how to:
- resist unethical pressure from groups or authority
- change harmful norms and promote pro-social norms
- design effective public campaigns on health, environment, gender equality, anti-corruption
- lead organisations towards integrity through communication and role-modelling
They show that laws alone are not enough – behaviour is shaped by norms, examples, communication and perceived expectations. Ethical governance requires building environments where social influence and persuasion support, rather than undermine, moral values.
flowchart TB classDef g fill:#E8F8F5,stroke:#148F77,color:#117864; classDef o fill:#FEF5E7,stroke:#E67E22,color:#6E2C00; A["Ethical Governance"]:::g --> B["Positive Social Influence"]:::o A --> C["Ethical Persuasion"]:::o B --> D["Pro-Integrity Norms
Role Models"]:::g C --> E["Transparent Communication
Value-based Campaigns"]:::g
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12. SMART SUMMARY – Quick Revision Table
| Concept | In One Line | Use in Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Social Influence | Change driven by norms, groups, authority, culture | Explain why people follow unethical practices under pressure |
| Persuasion | Intentional communication to change attitudes or behaviour | Use in questions on campaigns, leadership, public policy |
| Yale Model | “Who says what, to whom, how” determines persuasion | Structure answers around source, message, channel, audience |
| ELM | Central vs peripheral route – depth of processing decides strength of change | Explain durable vs temporary attitude change in public campaigns |
| Cognitive Dissonance | Inconsistency between belief and behaviour pushes attitude or behaviour change | Show how commitments and oaths can support integrity |
| Social Judgment Theory | Persuasion succeeds if message lies within latitude of acceptance | Explain why gradual, moderate reform messages work better |
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13. Practice Question (For Self-Study)
Q. “What do you understand by social influence and persuasion? Discuss the major models of persuasion and explain how they can be used to promote ethical conduct in public life.”
- Define social influence and persuasion with 1–2 clear examples.
- Explain Yale Model (source, message, channel, audience).
- Explain ELM (central vs peripheral, durable vs temporary change).
- Mention cognitive dissonance and social judgment insights briefly.
- Apply them to real-life ethical campaigns and administrative contexts.
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