Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Social Influence

Social influence refers to the ways in which individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped by the real, implied, or imagined presence of others. It is a central concept in social psychology, encompassing processes such as conformity, compliance, obedience, persuasion, and the internalization of group nor…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 6 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 46× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2644-1101 🗓 Reviewed June 2026

Overview

Social influence refers to the ways in which individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped by the real, implied, or imagined presence of others. It is a central concept in social psychology, encompassing processes such as conformity, compliance, obedience, persuasion, and the internalization of group norms. These processes operate through mechanisms including normative influence, in which people align with others to gain acceptance, and informational influence, in which others' behavior serves as a guide to appropriate action under uncertainty. Social influence shapes attitudes, decision-making, health behaviors, and participation in collective activities, and it can be harnessed deliberately in interventions designed to change behavior. Research relevant to this topic includes the application of the attitude, social influence, and self-efficacy model to understand male involvement in routine child immunization, and the role of parental support and self-esteem in mediating the relationship between sports participation and academic achievement, alongside broader study of interpersonal dynamics and social relationships. These examples show how social and interpersonal factors influence motivation, behavior, and outcomes. By identifying when and why people are swayed by others, the study of social influence clarifies the social determinants of behavior and informs efforts in public health, education, and behavior change, while illuminating fundamental aspects of human social functioning and group life.

Research published in this journal

6 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 6 articles above have been cited 46 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Social Influence, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Human Psychology (ISSN 2644-1101).

Journal editorial board
Christopher Mesagno · Australia Larkin Lamarche · canada Giuseppe Lanza · Italy

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.