Instruction
How can social influence affect behavior?
Social influence influences the ways in which individuals change their behavior to meet the demands of a social environment, if someone grows up in a neighborhood that has a lot of gang violence then the likelihood of that individual joining a gang is high.
What does it mean to conform?
Conformity involves giving in to group pressure, clients will act the way that their group or gang is behaving just so they can fit in. when working with offenders, you need to change your client's way of thinking. Showing your client other ways to become productive can change their ways of thinking.
What are the elements of persuasion?
The elements are the communicator, the message, the way the message is communicated, and the audience. When dealing with clients you have to make sure they understand what you are communicating to them, sometimes you have to speak to clients on a lower level because that is all they understand. Ask the client questions to make sure they understood what you said, never assume that you both are on the same page. 2. Social influence can affect ones behavior by peer pressuring a friend or group of friends. For example, a teen is smoking for the first time with a group of friends. He is pressuring the rest of the group to try smoking too. Some individuals will change their behavior to "fit in" with the other individual(s).
Conformity is when a person is influenced to change his/her belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group. Some offenders, while in prison, will change their behaviors to avoid conflict or to join a group for protection. Rival gang members on the street will speak to one another while in prison because of the environment they are locked in. When working with offenders try to deter them from getting caught up in prison politics or "joining" in with the behaviors of the troubled inmates. The group you surround yourself with is how they tend to act/behave.
The elements of persuasion, the communicator, the message, how the message is communicated, and the audience. An offender will come to you with questions, being a good communicator of information will keep a good relationship between you and the offender. If you simply don't know the answer tell them you don't know and work on finding it. The tone of voice used when communicating is also very important, how the message is communicated, remember to deliver clear accurate information. Remember who you are working with, watch body language and their attitude.