Compliance (psychology)

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Compliance is a response—specifically, a submission—made in reaction to a request. The request may be explicit (e.g., foot-in-the-door technique) or implicit (e.g., advertising). The target may or may not recognize that they are being urged to act in a particular way.[1]

Compliance psychology is the study of the process where individuals comply to social influence, typically in response to requests and pressures brought on by others. It encompasses a variety of theories, mechanisms, and applications in a wide range of contexts (e.g. personal and professional). Compliance psychology is essential to understand across many different fields. Some of various fields include healthcare, where patients adherence to medical advice is necessary, furthermore, marketing where consumer behavior is prioritized strategies can be developed.[2]

Social psychology is centered on the idea of social influence. It's the effect that words, actions, or mere presence of other people (real or imagined) have on our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, or behavior. Social influence is the driving force behind compliance. It is important that psychologists and ordinary people alike recognize that social influence extends beyond our behavior—to our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs—and that it takes on many forms. Persuasion and the compliance techniques are particularly significant types of social influence since they utilize the respective effect's power to attain the submission of others. Compliance is significant because it is a type of social influence that affects our everyday behavior—especially social interactions. Compliance is a complicated concept that must be studied in depth so that the uses, implications, theoretical, and experimental approaches may be better understood.[3]

  1. ^ Cialdini, R. B, & Goldstein, N. J. (2004) "Social influence: Compliance and conformity.” Annual Review of Psychology, 55: 591–621.
  2. ^ Harkins, Stephen G.; Williams, Kipling D.; Burger, Jerry M. (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Social Influence. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-985987-0.
  3. ^ Aronson, Elliot, Timothy D. Wilson, and Robin M. Akert. Social Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.