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Journal of Social Structure
International Network for Social Network Analysis
Subject: Social Sciences
eISSN: 1529-1227
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Understanding the Influential People and Social Structures Shaping Compliance
Rachel A. Smith * / Edward L. Fink
Keywords : Compliance, social networks, network preferences, opinion leadership, diffusion
Citation Information : Journal of Social Structure. Volume 16, Issue 1, Pages 1-15, DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/joss-2019-014
License : (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Published Online: 13-August-2019
- ARTICLE
- FIGURES & TABLES
- REFERENCES
- EXTRA FILES
- COMMENTS
ARTICLE
ABSTRACT
This study integrated efforts to identify influential people and to extend theories of structural predictors of compliance. Adults (N = 195) were shown a sociogram of 11 people who were connected by friendships. Participants were asked to imagine themselves in this group, identify a position for themselves, select another member for an interaction, and predict their likelihood of complying with the member’s request. Connectors (those wanting to link others) identified with more central positions for themselves and selected more central interaction partners. Agents with greater persuasive impact were more successful in gaining compliance from participants; for connectors, targets’ supportive impact also reduced their likelihood of compliance. Findings have implications for diffusion efforts that depend on interpersonal compliance, and for theories of social influence.
FIGURES & TABLES
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