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Changing Attitudes Through Social Influence: Does Social Distance Matter?
Amanda L Mahaffey1,2, Angela D Bryan1
1a Department of Psychology and Neuroscience , University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder , Colorado , USA.
Abstract:
To test the effects of social influence and social distance on attitudes, we assessed judgments of gay and lesbian targets in various contexts over three studies (n = 814, 51% female). We compared the impact of a derogatory message to a relatively favorable message ostensibly written by another participant. Participants were robustly moved by the feedback; social influence was a significant predictor in final evaluations of the target, as was social distance. Discrimination against gay men and lesbian women appears not to be a fixed behavior; seemingly anyone can be persuaded to discriminate or not to discriminate by mere peer suggestion.
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