[00:00:00] Would you be more likely to forgive someone if an authority figure encouraged you or if everyone around you did the same? Researchers from Belgium studied how social influence shapes our willingness to reconcile. The study included 78 university students from Belgium, Cambodia, and Rwanda. Participants completed fictional scenarios in which they decided to help the child of someone who had harmed their family in the past. Before making each decision, they received influence from either the authority figure, a group of peers, or a single individual. Researchers measured participants choices, decision speed, and brain activity using electroencephalography or EEG to examine how each decision felt.
[00:00:38] Participants reported feeling more influenced by authority than by groups. However, both authority figures and peer groups increased prosocial choices more than the individual. Brain activity showed that following an authority or group requires similar mental processing, suggesting similar effects upon social influence. Social influence affects all of us, often without recognition. Before following the crowd or any authority figure, ask yourself, is this the right and kind action to take? That simple question may help you make choices that reflect your own values rather than social pressure.
