Social Context Effects in Persuasion: The Effects of Multiple Sources and Multiple Targets

Abstract

Attitudes are a central feature of our social lives. Daily, we are called upon or feel compelled to express our views on a variety of topics. Equally often, we are exposed to attempts to change these attitudes. Some classic research in social psychology clearly makes the point that the social context in which people find themselves is a crucial determinant of their attitudes. For example, Newcomb (1943) in his research on Bennington College coeds found that students who were initially highly conservative, gradually came to adopt the liberal views espoused by the college community over the course of their stay there. The fact that people and their attitudes are located in social matrices has been suggested as one reason that field studies of attitude change typically find weaker effects than laboratory studies (Hovland, 1959). In laboratory research people are typically exposed to a persuasive communication in social isolation, but in field research and in “real life” people often receive messages in the company of others. As a result, subjects in laboratory research may feel that the message is aimed at them in particular which enhances its impact, whereas in the natural environment the perception may be that the message is aimed at people in general. Also, when other people are present, a message recipient might hear various individual group members make statements in opposition to the position outlined by the message source. This would also reduce the impact of the message.