Lecture
At present, in connection with the economic and cultural transformations under way in our country, particular importance attaches to a deep and comprehensive knowledge of the psychological regularities that determine people’s attitudes and actions, as well as to the competent use of methods of psychological influence (managerial, propagandistic, pedagogical, psychotherapeutic) carried out in various forms (mass, group, interpersonal, individual) by various means (verbal and nonverbal) and through various methods (persuasion, coercion, suggestion, emotional contagion). Influence can simultaneously foster development or disrupt it. What the outcome of the influence will be depends chiefly on the personality of the person exerting it and on that person’s psychological culture. It is especially important for professionals whose work involves exerting deliberate, sustained influence on people (psychologists, teachers, managers, and the like) to be competent in this area.
An introduction to the psychology of influence opens the door to studying how people interact with and influence one another in various contexts. The psychology of influence studies the processes, mechanisms and factors that affect people’s behaviour and thinking in social situations.
This textbook is intended for students of psychology and pedagogy. The discipline of psychology of influence broadens and deepens the knowledge acquired in the course of studying social psychology. This course reveals the psychological regularities of various types of influence and their consequences for the individual. Studying the discipline promotes the development of professionally important qualities in a psychologist or teacher: observational skill and perceptiveness in recognising various manifestations of influence, the capacity to exert developmental influence, and competence in resisting the negative consequences of other people’s unwanted influence.
The textbook sets out the course topics that reveal the central problems of the psychology of influence.
The topic “General characteristics of the phenomenon of psychological influence” analyses the main distinguishing features of influence, its varieties, goals and outcomes. It also analyses the relationship among the concepts of “influence,” “power” and “leadership.”
The topics “Contemporary foreign psychological theories explaining the nature of influence” and “Influence in the research of contemporary Russian psychologists” acquaint students with the principal scientific concepts of influence.
The topic “Psychological principles and factors of influence” describes the basic psychological principles underlying influence and analyses various approaches to describing the personality traits that make up the potential for influence.
The topic “Content, techniques and means of various types of influence” acquaints students with the distinguishing features, mechanisms and techniques of various types of influence: forceful, manipulative, constructive, and contentious. Students develop an understanding of the constructive and destructive aspects of various types of influence.
The topic “Constructive resistance to attack and manipulation” sets out an algorithm for deliberately resisting destructive influence and analyses various techniques and methods.
The topic “Pedagogical influence” includes a description of the theories and models of pedagogical influence, the methods and techniques of pedagogical influence, personal factors, and ways of self-monitoring it.
The main goal of the course is to develop students’ professional psychological culture, improve their capacity for the scientific understanding of psychological reality, and heighten their need for personal and professional self-development.
This textbook is based on the theoretical ideas of L. S. Vygotsky, S. L. Rubinstein, A. A. Ukhtomsky, V. N. Myasishchev, A. A. Bodalev, G. A. Kovalyov, A. B. Dobrovich, as well as of foreign scholars recognised as leading specialists in the psychology of social relations: E. Fromm, E. Berne, A. Bandura, G. Mead, K. Lewin, E. Goffman, G. Homans, H. Kelley and others.
The practical classes draw on elements of E. V. Sidorenko’s influence training together with original assignments.
This textbook is recommended for students’ independent work and for writing term papers and theses; it can also be used in practical classes on the psychology of influence and related psychological disciplines.
One of the key concepts in the psychology of influence is social influence. It describes the process by which one person changes his or her beliefs, opinions or behaviour under the impact of other people. Social influence can take various forms, such as conformity (yielding to the opinion of the majority), ingratiation (behaviour driven by the desire to be approved of by the group) and modelling (patterning one’s own behaviour on that of others).
One of the best-known studies in the psychology of influence is Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiment. In the course of the experiment, participants were instructed to follow the directions of an authoritative researcher, and as a result many of them acted against their own moral convictions.
Another important concept in the psychology of influence is influence potential. Influence potential describes a person’s ability to change the opinions, beliefs and behaviour of other people. Research shows that influence potential can operate through various factors, including authoritativeness, expertise, attractiveness and persuasive communication.
The psychology of influence has important practical significance. Its principles are applied in advertising, marketing, politics, education and other fields. Understanding the processes of influence helps us better understand and predict people’s behaviour in various social contexts.
In conclusion, the psychology of influence studies the processes and factors that affect people’s behaviour and thinking in social situations. It allows us to better understand how and why people conform to social norms and change their beliefs and behaviour under the impact of other people.
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