Interesting article by Elizabeth Suhay on possible mechanisms underlying social influence. We all know that people can influence the attitudes and behaviors of their friends and relatives, but how exactly is this happening? Here’s her story:
Influence Without Reason: How Religious Identity and Emotion Shape Catholics’ Social Conservatism
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I think this is largely correct, and would confirm empirical studies that reveal conformist behavior in the absence of state coercion (e.g. tax-paying, smokefree indoor air laws, and other self-enforcing policies). I recall, for instance, the “duty heuristic” work by John Scholz.
Where this model falls apart though is when the individual isn’t interested in staying in the community or group. It thus raises the question, using the example of religion, of why some in a church would modify their beliefs to conform, while others will not and instead choose to leave the church.
I agree with superdude, but would go the further step (with the caveat that I haven’t, you know, read the study) of saying that this graph on its own is completely uninteresting. The interesting part is in where “shame, embarrassment” split up into “shame in my wrong beliefs” on the one hand and “shame that I belong to this group that holds such misguided values” on the other. That’s what needs to be explained.
But again, maybe it is. Haven’t read the article. If it is, then the choice of this particular flow-chart seems odd.
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