In basic psychological theories, the effects that the presence or actions of others have on a subject are considered when understanding motivated behaviors. If you want to discover or know more about the Explanatory Models of Motivation: Social Motivationwe invite you to read the following Psychology-Online article.
Coercion and hearing: refers to the motivating influence that the presence of others has on a subject. Zajonc (1972) states that an increase in activation and performance occurs when the subject competes against other subjects in the same task. This is known as coercion effect. The same thing happens when the subject knows he is being observed by others, audience effect. However, the presence of others can also have negative effects on the subject’s behavior, having to do with the subject’s skill.
Diffusion of responsibility (Latané and Darley, 1970). The fact that there are several subjects in a situation in which helping behavior is required diffuses the motivation to carry out said behavior. It highlights the fact that the motivation for helping behavior involves two complementary and interrelated processes: on the one hand, a subject must be able to feel empathy for/with the person who needs help; On the other hand, a subject must be able to act based on that empathy. Variables to take into account responsibility attributed to the person being assisted (the greater the responsibility for the situation, for being intoxicated, etc., the less likely it is that they will receive help), the age of the person in need of help, the number of people who are present.
Conformity (Asch, 1952). The answers of others, although wrong, can modify the behavior of a subject even if he is convinced that his own alternative is the correct one. The modification of a subject’s response is oriented in the direction of the majority’s responses. The change in response can occur as a result of one of three factors:
- perceptual distortion: some subjects perceive the majority’s response as incorrect, therefore to adjust to the response of others they distort their own perception,
- distortion of judgment: the subjects are aware that the judgment they make is different from that made by the group, if they adjust to the group it is because they assume that the group’s judgment is correct,
- action distortion: The subjects do not necessarily assume that the group’s response is correct, there is no distortion of judgment or perception, but they do not want to give a different response. Asch verifies that the presence of others produces a motivational state in the subject that drives him to conform to the group’s response. The motivational state has its origin in the pressure that the group exerts on the subject; It occurs when there are at least two people present in addition to the subject.
Obedience. Zimbardo (1969) and Milgram (1975) They emphasize that obedience can be considered a form of conformity, while the subject who must obey thinks that the majority carries out the behavior that is required of him. Conformity Obedience Type of explicit implicit influence Source group pressure a subject Status influential subject similar superior.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.