THE EFFECTS OF EXPERT AND REFERENT INFLUENCE ON VERBAL ORIGINALITY.
Abstract
The present study intended to test the hypothesis that the reduction of originality attributed to the addition of social others was the result of a pressure to respond and a focus of attention on the overt act of responding. It was further hypothesized that when subjects worked with those perceived as comparable to themselves, they would develop and 'inferred mutually competitive set' and would concentrate on doing just better than the other. When working with others perceived as superior to themselves, subjects would attempt to respond in an imitation of the superior person's mode of responding. Thus, if the superior person responds quickly, the subject will tend to respond quickly. If the superior person responds slowly, the subject will also respond slowly. When confronted with a co-worker perceived as inferior in ability, the subject will not wish to use the other either as a model or as a basis for self-evaluation. Thus, the subject is not likely to be influenced to respond in the direction of the speed of a co-working social other. In terms of originality, it is hypothesized that the subjects who are co-working with fast responding social others will produce less original responses than subjects co-working with slow responding others. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 13, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0609113
Entities
People
- Lewis Jerome Ellenhorn
Organizations
- University of California, Los Angeles