Kuis, Bas (2025) Integrating Informational influence and Referent Informational Influence Into One Comprehensive Model: Finding Empirical Evidence For The Three-Realms Model. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Social influence plays a substantial role in everyday life, with research revealing three different process or routes: Normative Influence, Informational Influence (Deutsch & Gerard, 1955), and Referent Informational Influence (Turner, 1982). The aim of this paper is to build upon prior research that tried to integrate these influences in 1 model, The ‘Three-Realms Integrative Model of Social Influence’ (Spears, 2021). The experiment consists of 2 manipulated variables and one moderator, respectively being Strong versus weak arguments (informational influence; other/outward focus), a low versus high group identification manipulation (Referent Informational Influence; group-self focus), and measured identity (Referent Informational Influence; group-self focus). The novelty of this study is that group identity is manipulated as well as measured, in contrast with prior research. Based on the Three-Realms model, we hypothesize that strong arguments are better at influencing participants than weak arguments, and that participants manipulated to be high identifiers are influenced to a greater extent than participants manipulated to be low identifiers. We also expect the identity manipulation to interact with argument strength, thus leading to a diminished difference between strong and weak arguments when participants are manipulated to identify high, as opposed to low. Results partly support these hypotheses, with strong arguments being better at influencing than weak arguments, and high identifiers being influenced to a greater extent than low identifiers, but only under certain conditions. The predicted interaction effect was not found, but measured identification was more strongly predictive of influence (irrespective of argument strength) when group identification was manipulated to be high. We conclude that further research is necessary to support the model with causal evidence, however, the data reveal promising results.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Supervisor name: | Spears, R. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Applied Social Psychology (ASP) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Aug 2025 13:35 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Aug 2025 13:35 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5818 |
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