Social Proof - Moderators
3 important questions on Social Proof - Moderators
What was the 'Spot in the Sky' study (Milgram, Bickman & Berkowitz, 1969) about?
It aimed to investigate the power of social influence. The researchers had a person stare up at an empty spot in the sky, and the study examined if other pedestrians passing by would also reflexively look up, even though there was nothing to see. The more people looked at the sky, the more passers-by stopped to look at the sky as well. So, the larger the group, the higher the impact of the social cues on behavior.
What is the influence on behavior of the size of the referent group?
The higher the referent group (who does something or who judged someting), the more influence it has on others.
Why is the effect of the size of referent groups usually not completely lineair?
Because there usually is a tipping point. One person normally isn't enough to change the behavior of others. There is a certain amount of people needed (treshold) to set people to action. After that tipping point the principle of a bigger referent group leading to more people participating in the same behavior is applicable.
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