Social Influence As Stimulus Control
J. N. Weatherly
University of North Dakota
K. Miller
McNeese State University
T. W. McDonald
California State University, Chico
ABSTRACT: Many of the phenomena studied as examples of "social influence" in social
psychology qualify as stimulus control by conspecifics from a behavior-analytic standpoint. Research
on conformity, obedience, and social facilitation demonstrates that these constructs involve stimulus
control. Recognizing social influence as stimulus control is advantageous because it is parsimonious,
creates new avenues of research, and could potentially broaden the application of behavior analysis.
To support this second point, we conducted a questionnaire-based study to demonstrate that the
fundamental attribution error, a social-psychological phenomenon outside the typical definition
of "social influence," is also influenced by the presence of conspecifics, as predicted from a
behavior-analytic viewpoint. This prediction was supported, suggesting that recognizing social
influence as stimulus control may prove fruitful.
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