Latanes social impact theory

Cards (15)

  • Latane's social impact theory

    Uses mathematical equation to predict the level of social impact created by influence of other people because of social forces
  • Target
    • People who are impacted
  • Source
    • The person who influences others like authority figure typically holding status symbol like rank or uniform
  • Three factors that make up social forces

    • Strength
    • Immediacy
    • Number
  • Strength

    How much power you believe the person influencing you has
  • Immediacy
    How recent the influence is and how close to you
  • Number
    How many sources and targets therefore in the social situation
  • Evidence for immediacy affecting social influence
    • Basset and Latane found that people would assign more column inches to nearby fictious events rather than real faraway events
  • Latane's social impact theory

    Can be applied to prevent organised crime such as football hooliganism
  • Latane's social impact theory

    Formula i = f(sin) helps to predict target and source populations
  • Latane's social impact theory

    Antisocial behaviour can be prevented by ensuring 'sources' are deployed within correct immediacy and equipped with correct protective armour and equipment for strength
  • Latane's social impact theory doesn't explain behaviour of individuals
  • Other theories such as agency theory are better explanations of individual human obedience
  • Latane's social impact theory has wider ethical implications as it could lead to over policing of marginalised groups in society with implementation of predictive policing
  • The National Data Analytics Solution (NDAS) system implemented by London Police, a combo of AI and statics to assess risk of someone committing or becoming a victim of gun or knife crime, raises a serious ethical issue as it could disproportionally affect people of colour and residents of poorer neighbourhoods