Troy Dulles

Behavioral Dynamics
OGL 220
Chapter 6- Social Influence

INSTRUCTOR: Layne Gneiting

Summary

● This chapter talks about how we as humans like to conform with society.

Standing out amongst the rest seems like the wrong thing to do in our world,

but in fact it's important to do so. Social influence also affects our obedience

to others and society. Our environment directly affects the way we think and

act.

Quotes

● “Even though our rational brains know that there will be another sale with

similar deals soon, we may feel compelled to rush down to that store quickly

so as not to miss a great deal.”(p.160)

○ This quote stood out to me because it truly shows how much society

pressures you into doing things you wouldn't normally do.

● “Peer pressure is a classic example of normative social influence. It is

common among teens to go along with what their friends are doing, even if it

is something an individual might not otherwise want to do.”(p.149)

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 ○ This quote stood out to me because everyone has experienced peer

pressure and understanding why you did what you did in those

situations is crucial to not doing them again.

Human Code

● This chapter reveals that humans make decisions based on social pressure

and outside factors. This is called peer pressure and overall is described as

conformity. This can be viewed as a weakness for not making your own

decisions can drastically impact your future. This can be viewed as a

strength because it is something we as humans all do, so it is normal to do so

sometimes.

Hacking the Human Code

● This chapter gave me the ability to hack into a person's inner self and build

connections off it by noticing who the outliers are and trying to conform to

build a connection.

Experiment

● This week's experiment, I decided to test conformity but trying to fit in with

others and different groups of people. This was not easy, for people often

dislike outsiders stirring up their group or conversations.