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Social influence and attitude consistency
SOZIALPSYCHOLOGIE
877
Gcwicht gcmcint ist, das man einer Person dank ihrer pers;3nlichen Substanz und Pcrs6nlichkcitswirkung zuerkcnnt. Prestige ist dagegen das Gcwicht und die soziale Geltung, das einer Institution zugeschrieben wird. Insofcrn hat Prestige durchans cine positive Seite; es ist tines der wichtigsten Anlicgen jeglicher echten Politik, die auf die ErhaItung und Pflegc des Rules eincr Institution bedacht scin nmB. W o aber das institutionelle Prestige far pcrs/3nliche Vortcile eines Repr'asentanten der Institution mil3braucht wird, entsteht pers/3nliche Prestigepolitik mit all ihren Nachteilen trod Gcfahren. Bei der Pers6nlichkcit mug unterschieden werden zwischen Persona and l'ers6nlichkeit im engeren Sinne. Die Persona ist der Rollentriiger. Als Persona spiclt dcr Mensch mehr oder weniger gut dic ibm yon der Situation zugedacbte Nolle. Pers6nlichkeit ist integriertc und erfiillte Persona and damit Rollenschi~pfer. Pcrs6nlichkeit ist aktive pers6nliche Potenz, die kraft ihrer Substnnz auf die Umwelt wirkt und mit ihr in Resonanz steht and damit koordinierte Krkifte in den Menschen dcr Umwelt weckt.
SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND ATTITUDE CONSISTENCY H. B. GERARD Murray Hill, New Jersey (USA) Given a disagreement of opinion between two individuals, an action by one of them to reduce disagreement is considered here as approach behavior, where as continued or increased disagreement is considered as avoidance. Further, a favorable attitude by one individual of the other is a potential for approach for avoidance. Seen this way, consistency between behavior and attitude is consistency between manifest and potential behavior. If this consistency assumption is tenable, then an individual who sees himself as behaving toward another in a manner which is inconsistent with his evaluation of him, will tend either to change his behavior or attitude toward the other, whichever is more readily changed. Three interrelated experiments will be reported in which this relationship between attitudinal and behavioral consistency is examined. In tne first experiment the subject was confronted with successive disagreement with others regarding some simple visual judgments, and it was found that his tendency to yield to these others or to be independent was correlated with his self-other attitude consistency. In the second experiment, we varied the subject's self evaluation relative to the others and prevented him from
878
xu~.~a
25
yielding. We found 'hat when there was a clear differential in ability sclfo~hcr attitude eons,stcftcy was facilitated and couflict diminished. In the third expcriment the subiect found himself either yickting to lhc others or remaining deviate, His attitude toward the others was'found to be consistent with this behavior as was subseqt~ent behavior toward them. The first two experiments e, iil be given only brief mention. Fhcy were prclimina W to the third cxper~nlent which will be presented in some det:~il.
877
Gcwicht gcmcint ist, das man einer Person dank ihrer pers;3nlichen Substanz und Pcrs6nlichkcitswirkung zuerkcnnt. Prestige ist dagegen das Gcwicht und die soziale Geltung, das einer Institution zugeschrieben wird. Insofcrn hat Prestige durchans cine positive Seite; es ist tines der wichtigsten Anlicgen jeglicher echten Politik, die auf die ErhaItung und Pflegc des Rules eincr Institution bedacht scin nmB. W o aber das institutionelle Prestige far pcrs/3nliche Vortcile eines Repr'asentanten der Institution mil3braucht wird, entsteht pers/3nliche Prestigepolitik mit all ihren Nachteilen trod Gcfahren. Bei der Pers6nlichkcit mug unterschieden werden zwischen Persona and l'ers6nlichkeit im engeren Sinne. Die Persona ist der Rollentriiger. Als Persona spiclt dcr Mensch mehr oder weniger gut dic ibm yon der Situation zugedacbte Nolle. Pers6nlichkeit ist integriertc und erfiillte Persona and damit Rollenschi~pfer. Pcrs6nlichkeit ist aktive pers6nliche Potenz, die kraft ihrer Substnnz auf die Umwelt wirkt und mit ihr in Resonanz steht and damit koordinierte Krkifte in den Menschen dcr Umwelt weckt.
SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND ATTITUDE CONSISTENCY H. B. GERARD Murray Hill, New Jersey (USA) Given a disagreement of opinion between two individuals, an action by one of them to reduce disagreement is considered here as approach behavior, where as continued or increased disagreement is considered as avoidance. Further, a favorable attitude by one individual of the other is a potential for approach for avoidance. Seen this way, consistency between behavior and attitude is consistency between manifest and potential behavior. If this consistency assumption is tenable, then an individual who sees himself as behaving toward another in a manner which is inconsistent with his evaluation of him, will tend either to change his behavior or attitude toward the other, whichever is more readily changed. Three interrelated experiments will be reported in which this relationship between attitudinal and behavioral consistency is examined. In tne first experiment the subject was confronted with successive disagreement with others regarding some simple visual judgments, and it was found that his tendency to yield to these others or to be independent was correlated with his self-other attitude consistency. In the second experiment, we varied the subject's self evaluation relative to the others and prevented him from
878
xu~.~a
25
yielding. We found 'hat when there was a clear differential in ability sclfo~hcr attitude eons,stcftcy was facilitated and couflict diminished. In the third expcriment the subiect found himself either yickting to lhc others or remaining deviate, His attitude toward the others was'found to be consistent with this behavior as was subseqt~ent behavior toward them. The first two experiments e, iil be given only brief mention. Fhcy were prclimina W to the third cxper~nlent which will be presented in some det:~il.