Indirect Social Influence Research Articles

Indirect social influence and diffusion of innovations: An experimental approach.

A fundamental feature for understanding the diffusion of innovations through a social group is the manner in which we are influenced by our own social interactions. It is usually assumed that only direct interactions, those that form our social network, determine the dynamics of adopting innovations. Here, we test this assumption by experimentally and theoretically studying the role of direct and indirect influences in the adoption of innovations. We perform experiments specifically designed to capture the influence that an individual receives from their direct social ties as well as from those socially close to them, as a function of the separation they have in their social network. The results of 21 experimental sessions with more than 590 participants show that the rate of adoption of an innovation is significantly influenced not only by our nearest neighbors but also by the second and third levels of influences an adopter has. Using a mathematical model that accounts for both direct and indirect interactions in a network, we fit the experimental results and determine the way in which influences decay with social distance. The results indicate that the strength of peer pressure on an adopter coming from its second and third circles of influence is approximately two-third and one-third, respectively, relative to their closest neighbors. Our results strongly suggest that the adoption of an innovation is a complex process in which an individual feels significant pressure not only from their direct ties but also by those socially close to them.

Retweeting behavior prediction based on dynamic Bayesian network classifier in microblogging networks

Nowadays, predicting user retweeting behavior in microblogging networks has gained considerable attention. Solving this problem allows for understanding the underlying mechanism of information diffusion and analyzing diffusion's evolution concerning a particular original microblog over time. Time-series data from microblogging networks are ubiquitous, and user retweeting behavior prediction is primarily considered a classification task. Consequently, there is a significant demand for accurate classification of time-series data. Several influential factors affect user retweeting behavior prediction in microblogging networks. However, much of the existing research focuses on studies that neglect the impact of users' indirect social influence strength. This neglect leads to inaccurate forecasts of indirect retweeting behavior for a particular original microblog. To address this, this paper presents a new time-sensitive measure of social influence strength based on a combination of users' temporal behavior patterns and the shortest cascade path length. Second, it proposes a prediction model based on Dynamic Bayesian Network derivative classifiers called V-DBNC to accurately predict user retweeting behavior over time. The proposed time-sensitive social influence strength factor and other factors, such as individual behavior and similarity-based driving factors, are applied to the V-DBNC model to achieve accurate user retweeting behavior prediction in the microblogging network. The joint density of factors in this classifier is estimated using a multivariate Gaussian kernel function with smoothing parameters. The V-DBNC model is empirically optimized by splitting the smoothing parameters into different-scale intervals and using the model averaging method to select the optimal classifier. Additionally, the proposed model's relatively simple structure helps overcome the overfitting problem and allows it to accumulate classification information through iterative evolution, promoting generalization. The real Twitter microblogging dataset is used to evaluate the performance of V-DBNC. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed model outperforms other compared approaches when dealing with the classification of time-series data.

Student perceptions of the current drinking culture in three Australian residential colleges: Drinking motives, consequences and recommendations for harm minimisation strategies.

Systemic cultural factors related to excessive alcohol consumption have been identified in Australian university residential colleges. In this mixed methods study, we conducted focus groups with student leaders at three Australian residential colleges. We aimed to explore students' perceptions of alcohol use and related consequences in their current college environment and gather feedback from students on the utility of alcohol harm minimisation strategies in this context. In November 2020, 77 student leaders from three colleges participated in focus groups. Each focus group ran for 1.5-2hours and included three sections: (i) quantitative survey; (ii) semi-structured group interview; and (iii) feedback on a potential alcohol harm minimisation workshop. The survey revealed that 81% of participants reported drinking hazardously. Thematic analysis of the interview data indicated many students perceived college as a supportive environment regarding students' alcohol use choices (direct peer pressure to drink was uncommon). However, indirect social influence to drink appeared to maintain a 'culture of intoxication'. Specifically, social norms to attend college events (where drinking is implied) and modelling of excessive drinking were key indirect influences on heavy drinking norms. Students were aware and accepting of many alcohol harm minimisation strategies and interested in improving current strategies. Despite the supportive college environment described by students, regarding alcohol use choices, a 'culture of intoxication' driven by indirect social influences was evident. Student leaders' interest in increasing the availability of harm minimisation strategies highlights the potential utility of peer-led alcohol interventions in colleges.

The social contagion of temporal discounting in small social networks

Decisions often require a tradeoff between immediate and long-term gratification. How individuals resolve such tradeoffs reflects constructs such as temporal discounting, the degree that individuals devalue delayed rewards. Recent research has started to focus on temporal decisions made in collaborative contexts (e.g., dyads, small groups). Results suggest that directly interacting with others leads to revisions in preferences, such that decision makers become more similar to their collaborative partners over time (e.g., more patient following collaboration with a patient other). What remains to be seen is whether this social influence extends to indirect social effects, such as when an individual influences another’s preferences through a shared collaborative partner. In the current study, the focus was on decisions regarding hypothetical monetary rewards. Groups of three participated in a collaborative decision-making chain, in which network member X collaborated with member Y, who then subsequently collaborated with member Z. Though network members X and Z never directly interacted, a significant indirect link was observed between member X’s pre-collaborative decision preferences and member Z’s post-collaborative decision preferences. These results demonstrate that temporal decision preferences can be transmitted through intervening connections in a small social network (i.e., social contagion), showing that indirect social influence can be empirically observed and measured in controlled environments.

Gender and the STEM Fields in Education- and Career-Related Discussions between Finnish Parents and their Adolescent Children

Occupational gender segregation in Finland is high and persistent in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Previous research has concluded that, rather than differences in aptitude, gendered educational and vocational choices originate from more complex system of attitudes, self-concepts, motivations and both direct and indirect social influences, all of which shape young people’s future goals. In the sphere of social influences on career choice, parents play a special role in adolescents’ education and career exploration. This study explores two interrelated areas: firstly, the ideas expressed by Finnish adolescent children’s parents about the role of gender in education and career choices, and secondly, parent-child discussions about such ideas, especially with regard to STEM career pathways. The research data (N=103) was collected by means of an online survey. Almost half of the parents reported having had discussions about STEM careers with their children. Problematically, many parents considered that they had too little information about these careers. Our results indicate that mothers are more aware of the societal and individual consequences of occupational gender segregation than fathers are. The results also suggest that parents should be provided with up-to-date information on STEM careers and on the consequences of occupational gender segregation in order to enhance parents’ readiness to support their children in their future exploration of education and careers. Greater collaboration between homes, career counseling, teachers and relevant organizations concerned with the economic world, working life and entrepreneurship would be beneficial in promoting awareness of these aspects during adolescents’ career development.

Modelling Indirect Social Influence on Choice Behaviour: An Electric Vehicle Purchase Choice Case Study

While the importance of social influence on transport related choices is commonly acknowledged within the travel behaviour research community, there remain several challenges in modelling the social influence in practice. Indeed, transport demand models have traditionally not considered the effects of social influence on individual choice behaviour. The present study contributes to filling this gap by providing a novel approach to model indirect social influences by combining information on attitudes and social proximity which characterises the individual’s social network. In particular, we develop an analytical framework to account for indirect social influence related to the processes of social conformity generated by peers’ attitudes. Within such a framework, a newly developed social influence variable is used to explain how peers indirectly influence the individual’s choice. We apply this approach to the empirical context of electric vehicle adoption intentions, using data from a stated preference survey. Besides stated choice experiment data on vehicle preferences, the dataset provides extensive information on social relationships amongst the respondents and on sociological constructs such as lifestyle practices, lifestyle liminality and the New Ecological Paradigm. We use a factor analysis to identify these latent constructs from the psychometric indicators available from the survey data. Having identified the subset of indicators specific to each latent construct, we use a cluster analysis on such indicators to group respondents with similar indicator levels for specific factors. Subsequently, we specify the social influence variable by interacting clusters with social relationship measures. In order to understand whether individuals with a specific attitude can influence peers in their social network, the individual’s peer attitude is included in different components of a hybrid choice model. Our results show that the inclusion of this variable indirectly affects the decision making process of the individual as the peers’ attitudes are significantly related to the latent attitude of the individual. On the other hand, it does not seem to directly affect the utility of an alternative as a source of systematic heterogeneity nor does it work as a manifestation of the latent variable, i.e. as an indicator.

Implicit learning in attractiveness evaluation: The role of conformity and analytical processing.

We address the question how people's opinion and features of information interact in the process of indirect social influence. Implicit learning was considered as a mechanism for conformity in social perception. We carried out 2 experiments using a hidden covariation detection paradigm. In a learning phase, participants memorized a set of female photographs presented together with their attractiveness ratings. The ratings correlated with the hairstyle of the photographed women. The participants who did not consciously detect this correlation demonstrated a systematic bias toward the correlation when evaluating the new stimulus persons. Information about the source of the ratings in the learning phase (other people's opinions or nonsocial sources) did not modulate learning. Learning was not observed when participants critically evaluated the ratings during the memorization phase. The study shows that (a) conformity may be based not only on reinforcement learning mechanism (as was previously suggested) but also on unsupervised implicit learning; (b) implicit learning occurs automatically irrespective of the context (social or not); and (c) a critical attitude toward learned material may prevent implicit learning from being manifested in a test phase. We conclude that indirect social influence may be affected by people's opinion toward the provided information. The study contributes to both implicit learning and social perception research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Trickle-Down, Trickle-Out, Trickle-Up, Trickle-In, and Trickle-Around Effects: An Integrative Perspective on Indirect Social Influence Phenomena

Research on trickle effects has proliferated in the past decade. However, the literature has grown in a largely disorganized and fragmented fashion, with the different types of trickle effects (trickle-down, trickle-out, trickle-up, trickle-in, and trickle-around) often examined as independent phenomena. To better understand and integrate this research, we provide a comprehensive review of the empirical literature of trickle effects. In particular, drawing on an indirect social influence perspective, we clarify the definition of trickle effects as a process whereby perceptions, feelings, attitudes, or behaviors of a source affect perceptions, feelings, attitudes, or behaviors of a transmitter, which in turn affect perceptions, feelings, attitudes, or behaviors of a recipient. We then review the works collectively, cataloging them by trickle type. Next, we examine boundary conditions (moderators) of the effects, methodologies utilized, and the theoretical accounts proposed to explain the effects. Finally, we introduce a conceptual framework that allows us to organize trickle-effects research and identify paths for future trickle-effects research.

Analysing the Unequal Effects of Positive and Negative Information on the Behaviour of Users of a Taiwanese On-Line Bulletin Board.

The impact of social influence causes people to adopt the behaviour of others when interacting with other individuals. The effects of social influence can be direct or indirect. Direct social influence is the result of an individual directly influencing the opinion of another, while indirect social influence is a process taking place when an individual’s opinion and behaviour is affected by the availability of information about others’ actions. Such indirect effect may exhibit a more significant impact in the on-line community because the internet records not only positive but also negative information, for example on-line written text comments. This study focuses on indirect social influence and examines the effect of preceding information on subsequent users’ opinions by fitting statistical models to data collected from an on-line bulletin board. Specifically, the different impacts of information on approval and disapproval comments on subsequent opinions were investigated. Although in an anonymous situation where social influence is assumed to be at minimum, our results demonstrate the tendency of on-line users to adopt both positive and negative information to conform to the neighbouring trend when expressing opinions. Moreover, our results suggest unequal effects of the local approval and disapproval comments in affecting the likelihood of expressing opinions. The impact of neighbouring disapproval densities was stronger than that of neighbouring approval densities on inducing subsequent disapproval relative to approval comments. However, our results suggest no effects of global social influence on subsequent opinion expression.

The importance of witnessed agency in chimpanzee social learning of tool use

Social learning refers to individuals learning from others, including information gained through indirect social influences, such as the results of others’ actions and changes in the physical environment. One method to determine the relative influence of these varieties of information is the ‘ghost display’, in which no model is involved, but subjects can watch the results that a model would produce. Previous research has shown mixed success by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) learning from ghost displays, with some studies suggesting learning only in relatively simple tasks. To explore whether the failure of chimpanzees to learn from a ghost display may be due to neophobia when tested singly or a requirement for more detailed information for complex tasks, we presented ghost displays of a tool-use task to chimpanzees in their home social groups. Previous tests have revealed that chimpanzees are unable to easily solve this tool-use task asocially, or learn from ghost displays when tested singly, but can learn after observing conspecifics in a group setting. In the present study, despite being tested in a group situation, chimpanzees still showed no success in solving the task via trial-and-error learning, in a baseline condition, nor in learning the task from the ghost display. Simply being in the presence of their group mates and being shown the affordances of the task was not sufficient to encourage learning. Following this, in an escalating series of tests, we examined the chimpanzees’ ability to learn from a demonstration by models with agency: (1) a human; (2) video footage of a chimpanzee; (3) a live chimpanzee model. In the first two of these ‘social’ conditions, subjects showed limited success. By the end of the final open diffusion phase, which was run to determine whether this new behavior would be transmitted among the group after seeing a successful chimpanzee use the task, 83% of chimpanzees were now successful. This confirmed a marked overall effect of observing animate conspecific modeling, in contrast to the ghost condition.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: insert SI title.

An exploration of the importance of social influence in the decision to start bicycling in England

The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding, through qualitative exploration, of the ways in which social influence affects the decision to start bicycling in England. ‘Social influence’ is defined as the process by which an individual’s thoughts and actions are changed by the thoughts and action of others. Its role was investigated at three levels: the immediate family, household members and significant others (direct social influence); the extended family, friends, peers and colleagues (less direct social influence); and the wider cultural context (indirect social influence). Interviews with 61 individuals living in 12 towns and cities across England were analysed. Half of the interviewees were new regular bicyclists and the other half did not bicycle at all, or only occasionally. Social influence was found to be the dominant factor for a minority of the cases where participants started bicycling regularly. It played a role alongside other factors in other cases. It could take the form of direct influence from family, friends and peers or indirect influence from the social and cultural context. The analysis illustrates the difficulty of capturing social influence which is often hidden and emerges incidentally in the course of the interviews and interacts with other contributing factors. The role of social influence found in this research challenges the rational approach to explaining travel decision making that has traditionally dominated transport studies. The paper suggests that social processes could be harnessed to improve the efficacy of bicycling promotion programs.

How Peer Pressure Shapes Consensus, Leadership and Innovations in Social Groups

What is the effect of the combined direct and indirect social influences—peer pressure (PP)—on a social group's collective decisions? We present a model that captures PP as a function of the socio-cultural distance between individuals in a social group. Using this model and empirical data from 15 real-world social networks we found that the PP level determines how fast a social group reaches consensus. More importantly, the levels of PP determine the leaders who can achieve full control of their social groups. PP can overcome barriers imposed upon a consensus by the existence of tightly connected communities with local leaders or the existence of leaders with poor cohesiveness of opinions. A moderate level of PP is also necessary to explain the rate at which innovations diffuse through a variety of social groups.

Quantifying the effects of social influence

How do humans respond to indirect social influence when making decisions? We analysed an experiment where subjects had to guess the answer to factual questions, having only aggregated information about the answers of others. While the response of humans to aggregated information is a widely observed phenomenon, it has not been investigated quantitatively, in a controlled setting. We found that the adjustment of individual guesses depends linearly on the distance to the mean of all guesses. This is a remarkable, and yet surprisingly simple regularity. It holds across all questions analysed, even though the correct answers differ by several orders of magnitude. Our finding supports the assumption that individual diversity does not affect the response to indirect social influence. We argue that the nature of the response crucially changes with the level of information aggregation. This insight contributes to the empirical foundation of models for collective decisions under social influence.

Quantifying the Effects of Social Influence

How do humans respond to indirect social influence when making decisions? We analyzed an experiment where subjects had to repeatedly guess the correct answer to factual questions, while having only aggregated information about the answers of others. While the response of humans to aggregated information is a widely observed phenomenon, it has not been investigated quantitatively, in a controlled setting. We found that the adjustment of individual guesses depends linearly on the distance to the mean of all guesses. This is a remarkable, and yet surprisingly simple, statistical regularity. It holds across all questions analyzed, even though the correct answers differ in several orders of magnitude. Our finding supports the assumption that individual diversity does not affect the response to indirect social influence. It also complements previous results on the nonlinear response in information-rich scenarios. We argue that the nature of the response to social influence crucially changes with the level of information aggregation. This insight contributes to the empirical foundation of models for collective decisions under social influence.

Influences of Web interactivity and social identity and bonds on the quality of online discussion in a virtual community

People participate in virtual communities (VCs) for knowledge sharing or social interaction. However, most studies of VCs have focused on elucidating knowledge sharing rather than predicting virtual social interactions. This study considers "quality of online discussion" an appropriate metric for assessing group-level outcomes of virtual social interactions, and thus for predicting member willingness to sustain an ongoing relationship with a virtual community (VC). This study develops a research model, grounded in Web interactivity, social identity and social bond theories, for predicting the quality of online discussion in terms of cognitive and social influences. Empirical results from an online survey of a VC verify distinct direct and indirect social influences (perceived internalization bonds and perceived identification bonds) and cognitive influences (perceived communication and perceived control). Implications for academics and practitioners are also discussed.

Indirect social influence in the maintenance of the stone-handling tradition in Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata

Comparative and longitudinal studies have shown that stone-handling (SH) behaviour, defined as the noninstrumental manipulation of stones by performing various behavioural patterns, is socially transmitted across generations as a cultural behaviour in Japanese macaques. We investigated experimentally how stimulus/local enhancement, a form of indirect social influence through the physical traces typically left in the environment by previous stone handlers, might trigger SH behaviour at the individual level, and thus could contribute to the maintenance of the SH tradition at the group level. Through the semicontrolled conditions of field experiments, conducted in the free-ranging provisioned Arashiyama E troop, in which the SH tradition has been well established for nearly three decades, our results supported the stimulus/local enhancement hypothesis. Most group members preferentially directed their SH behaviour towards typical physical traces of SH activity (piles of stones) over randomly scattered stones. Encountering SH artefacts enhanced the use of these particular stones for performing SH in that particular part of the environment. The common occurrence of such ‘play stations’ may favour the frequent reuse of the same stones over time and explain the transport of stones between and around SH artefacts. We provided evidence for the role of indirect social inputs on the long-term persistence of the SH tradition in Japanese macaques, through SH by-products, the stimulating effect of which can be delayed in time and separate in space from others. We discuss our findings from the perspective of socially mediated behaviours, conformity-enforcing responses and niche construction.

Indirect Social Influence

To what extent are our decision-making and learning processes influenced indirectly by others?

Acquisition of foraging competence in wild brown capuchins (Cebus apella), with special reference to conspecifics' foraging artefacts as an indirect social influence

[Wild brown capuchins (Cebus apella) in Raleighvallen, Suriname forage on larvae hidden inside bamboo stalks via searching and extractive behaviours. We found that developing proficiency at obtaining larvae from bamboo stalks extends through several years of juvenescence. Older juveniles pass through a transition from a juvenile pattern to an adult pattern of foraging efficiency and diet selection. Whereas most studies have investigated the contribution of direct interactions between a naive individual and a competent forager on the acquisition of foraging expertise, we focused on indirect social influence through foraging artefacts left in the habitat by conspecifics. Young individuals foraged at bamboo stalks more often shortly after than shortly before encountering bamboo segments previously opened by foragers to extract larvae. We discuss this result in terms of stimulus enhancement and social facilitation. In capuchins, learning how to forage on difficult foods does not necessarily occur in the presence of other group members, and social influences can be delayed in time and separate in space from others. This study provides an original view on how the gradual acquisition of foraging competence in brown capuchins is aided jointly by physical maturation and indirect social input that provides opportunities to practice appropriate foraging actions., Wild brown capuchins (Cebus apella) in Raleighvallen, Suriname forage on larvae hidden inside bamboo stalks via searching and extractive behaviours. We found that developing proficiency at obtaining larvae from bamboo stalks extends through several years of juvenescence. Older juveniles pass through a transition from a juvenile pattern to an adult pattern of foraging efficiency and diet selection. Whereas most studies have investigated the contribution of direct interactions between a naive individual and a competent forager on the acquisition of foraging expertise, we focused on indirect social influence through foraging artefacts left in the habitat by conspecifics. Young individuals foraged at bamboo stalks more often shortly after than shortly before encountering bamboo segments previously opened by foragers to extract larvae. We discuss this result in terms of stimulus enhancement and social facilitation. In capuchins, learning how to forage on difficult foods does not necessarily occur in the presence of other group members, and social influences can be delayed in time and separate in space from others. This study provides an original view on how the gradual acquisition of foraging competence in brown capuchins is aided jointly by physical maturation and indirect social input that provides opportunities to practice appropriate foraging actions.]

Evidence of social effects on mate choice in vertebrates

Study of determinants of mate selection by animals has a long history in evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. However, only during the past decade have investigators begun to conduct experiments exploring the various ways in which observation of the behaviour of others might influence mate selection. Here, we review both field and laboratory studies of behavioural processes that underlie non-independence in mate choice, discussing both direct and indirect social influences on mate selection. We focus on laboratory studies in which guppies and Japanese quail, species that have received greatest attention from investigators, have served as subjects. Although much is now known about how public information can affect mate selection in controlled environments, there are still significant gaps in our knowledge of whether and how such information contributes to mate selections by members of free-living populations.

Upper-middle-class Influence on Developmental Policy Outcomes: The Case of Transit Infrastructure

Past research on urban economic development has targeted three major lines of inquiry on determinants of policy outcomes. One focuses on the power of political actors engaged in agency processes. Another looks at institutional structure and the third emphasises physical and social 'preconditions' of urban structure. Although heavily researched, none of these approaches has produced conclusive empirical results. In part, this may be due to the research being nearly void of inquiry into the issue of 'indirect social influence'. This paper probes the thesis that variance in economic development outcomes is determined in part by agencies perceiving anonymous publics where no direct interaction is involved. It examines this with reference to an upper-middle-class lifestyle. Using infrastructure investment of 42 transit agencies across the US, regression results show a UMC factor to be more significant in explaining differences in policy outcomes than those of traditional rival theses. The paper concludes with an inferential analysis of why and how such indirect influence might occur.