Over the previous decades, researches have scrutinized social influence – the methods used for changing people’s attitudes and behaviors. According to Key et. al. (2005), social influence encompasses two forms of influence: persuasion and compliance. While the former refers to alteration of attitudes, the latter denotes change in behavior. Both forms of social influence have been researched (Albarracin et. al., 2005), although the impact of personality differences has mostly been assessed in the context of persuasion, not compliance (Key et. al., 2009).
Marwel and Schmitt in 1960s originally conceived compliance by producing a series of compliance-gaining tactics. Decades later, Robert Cialdini distinguished between six principles through which compliance with persuasive request can be obtained. Compliance according to Robert Cialdini (2001) is the process of getting people to conform to a request. The target complying with the persuasive request may or may not apprehend that he or she is being impelled to act in a particular way (Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004). Jointly Cialdini and Goldstein (2004) define compliance as a submission made in response to a persuasive request.
Research on compliance is significant since it is a form of social influence that affects people’s everyday behavior (e.g. social interaction). This paper infers how responsiveness to Cialdini’s compliance principles varies by personality. Historically, researchers interested in the study of personality differences have mostly relied on the five-factor model (FFM) also referred to as Big Five personality factors (Richard et. al., 2001). Currently, this model is widely used to explain crucial features of personalities among different individuals (Judge et. al., 2002). [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review and Hypotheses
2.1. Compliance Strategies
2.2. Personality Factors
2.2.1. Neuroticism
2.2.2. Extraversion
2.2.3. Conscientiousness
2.2.4. Agreeableness
2.3. Intention to Comply
3. Methodology
3.1. Sampling
3.2. Measures
4. Analysis
Research Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this paper is to investigate how individual personality differences, specifically those defined by the Big Five model, influence a person's susceptibility to Robert Cialdini's established principles of compliance. The research aims to empirically test whether specific personality traits are positively associated with distinct compliance strategies, thereby enhancing the understanding of social influence dynamics in various behavioral contexts.
- Analysis of social influence through the lenses of persuasion and compliance.
- Application of the Big Five personality factors (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness).
- Investigation of four key compliance principles: authority, liking (similarity), consistency, and reciprocity.
- Examination of the mediating role of intention to comply in behavioral outcomes.
- Methodological approach utilizing cross-sectional survey data and regression analysis.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. Compliance Strategies
Robert Cialdini in his comprehensive observation of commercial compliance professionals attempted to make an effort to discover the distinct compliance procedures being applied across advertising, promotions, merchandising and fund-raising (Cialdini & Sagarin, 2005). In this process, Cialdini accounts that he looked for predominant compliance principles that occurred in multitude of versions and within numerous compliance professions; had been previously applied successfully; and were employable by most compliance professionals. Among numerous principles, six held out from the rest: authority, liking (similarity), reciprocity, commitment/consistency, scarcity, and social validation. (Cialdini & Sagarin, 2005). This study focuses on the first four principles that are briefly described in table below.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines social influence, distinguishing between persuasion and compliance, and introduces the research question regarding how personality affects susceptibility to compliance principles.
2. Literature Review and Hypotheses: This section reviews Cialdini’s compliance strategies and the Big Five personality model, establishing specific hypotheses linking personality traits to compliance behaviors.
3. Methodology: This chapter details the study's research design, describing the sampling of students and the development of a questionnaire using Likert scale items to measure personality types and compliance scenarios.
4. Analysis: This chapter outlines the statistical approach, employing simple regression and significance testing to evaluate the hypothesized associations between independent personality variables and dependent compliance variables.
Keywords
Social Influence, Compliance, Persuasion, Robert Cialdini, Big Five Personality Factors, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Individual Differences, Behavioral Intention, Survey Methodology, Regression Analysis, Authority, Reciprocity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the relationship between individual personality traits, based on the Big Five model, and the varying susceptibility of individuals to Robert Cialdini’s principles of compliance.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers social psychology concepts including compliance strategies, personality psychology (Big Five), and the behavioral intention to conform to persuasive requests.
What is the main research question of the study?
The core research question is: Do individuals differ in their susceptibility to Cialdini’s compliance principles based on their personality traits?
Which scientific methods are employed in this work?
The author uses a cross-sectional survey design, utilizing a 48-item questionnaire for personality assessment and 12 scenario-based items for compliance testing, followed by simple regression analysis.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body reviews relevant literature on compliance and personality, formulates specific hypotheses (Ha through Hd and H2), details the sampling and measurement tools, and explains the statistical analysis plan.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include social influence, compliance, Big Five personality traits, persuasion, and Cialdini's principles.
How is the compliance principle of "authority" linked to personality?
The study hypothesizes a positive association between high neuroticism and compliance with authority figures, based on the connection between neuroticism and lower self-esteem.
How are the "measures" for personality and compliance validated?
The study uses established scales for personality and adopts Cialdini and Sagarin’s scenarios for compliance, testing the reliability of these instruments using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient.
What statistical criteria are used for accepting hypotheses?
The study utilizes a significance level of 0.05 (p < 0.05), where a value below this threshold indicates that the personality type has a statistically significant effect on compliance behavior.
Why is "Intention to Comply" significant in this study?
Intention is considered an immediate antecedent of behavior according to the Theory of Planned Behavior, serving as a critical mediator between the influence of compliance principles and actual behavioral responses.
- Quote paper
- Farkhunda Saquib (Author), 2012, Personality Traits and Social Influence: Individual Differences in Susceptibility to Cialdini’s Compliance Principles , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/202559
