When do We Feel Responsible for Other People’s Behavior and Attitudes?

Abstract

Purpose

We explore how, and how accurately, people assess their influence over others’ behavior and attitudes. We describe the process by which a person would determine whether he or she was responsible for changing someone else’s behavior or attitude, and the perceptual, motivational, and cognitive factors that are likely to impact whether an influencer’s claims of responsibility are excessive, insufficient, or accurate.

Methodology/approach

We first review classic work on social influence, responsibility or blame attribution, and perceptions of control, identifying a gap in the literature with respect to understanding how people judge their own responsibility for other people’s behavior and attitudes. We then draw from a wide range of social psychological research to propose a model of how an individual would determine his or her degree of responsibility for someone else’s behavior or attitude.

Practical implications

A potential influencer’s beliefs about the extent of his or her influence can determine whether he or she engages in an influence attempt, how he or she engages in such an attempt, and whether he or she takes responsibility for another person’s behavior or beliefs.

Originality/value of paper

For decades, scholars researching social influence have explored how one’s behavior and attitudes are shaped by one’s social environment. However, amidst this focus on the perspective of the target of social influence, the perspective of the influencer has been ignored. This paper addresses the largely neglected question of how much responsibility influencers take for the impact their words, actions, and presence have on others.

Citation

Bohns, V.K., Newark, D.A. and Boothby, E.J. (2018), "When do We Feel Responsible for Other People’s Behavior and Attitudes?", Advances in Group Processes (Advances in Group Processes, Vol. 35), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 159-179. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0882-614520180000035007