I Think Therefore I Am (Influenced): Perceptions of Social Influence on Self and Others

Abstract

This research focuses on people’s perceptions and explanations of majority and minority influence, and on the socio-cognitive processes that underlie them. Two experimental studies (Ns = 89, 139) examined the effects of source status (majority vs. minority) and message quality (strong vs. weak arguments) on perceptions of influence on self and others, explanations for this influence and message elaboration. An estimation of potential (and actual) influence on self and other recipients was examined and an expected bias in perception was evident, others were thought to be influenced more than the self (i.e. a third-person perception). These perceptions depended on the greater message elaboration instigated by a minority (vs. majority) source. The reasons people offer about the potential (or actual) influence were also examined – in particular, people’s thoughts about the influential message and source’s status (i.e. the information that they receive a message by a majority or a minority influence). Results showed that thinking as an explanation of influence is more important for a majority (vs. a minority) message and this does not depend on actual cognitive elaboration but rather on self-serving processes. Overall, the results show that thinking as an underlying process of, or as an account for, influence is differentially connected with majority and minority source. These findings contribute to our understanding of perceptions and explanations of social influence and of their underlying socio-cognitive processes.

Keywords

• majority influence
• minority influence
• perception of influence
• third person effect