Online Conformity: Exploring the Impacts of Moral Foundations on the Influence of Social Media
Disciplines
Experimental Analysis of Behavior | Personality and Social Contexts | Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Social media appears to have a strong influence on the way that people form opinions and adopt mindsets, which may in turn influence their behavior. Additionally, “conformity” refers to when people engage in actions that replicate the actions of others, usually as a result of social influence and learned behavior. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of external influences like social media and internal influences like moral intuitions on behavioral outcomes and opinions. Here, we use a questionnaire to collect information on social media usage, moral foundations, and the likelihood of adopting trends. Based on previous research, we would expect to find that both social media and moral intuitions would have differentiating effects on trend adoption and behavioral outcomes. Findings from this research may promote awareness of the effect that social media and online influences can have on offline behavior.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Sociology & Criminal Justice
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Lisa M. Thompson Lee
Online Conformity: Exploring the Impacts of Moral Foundations on the Influence of Social Media
Social media appears to have a strong influence on the way that people form opinions and adopt mindsets, which may in turn influence their behavior. Additionally, “conformity” refers to when people engage in actions that replicate the actions of others, usually as a result of social influence and learned behavior. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of external influences like social media and internal influences like moral intuitions on behavioral outcomes and opinions. Here, we use a questionnaire to collect information on social media usage, moral foundations, and the likelihood of adopting trends. Based on previous research, we would expect to find that both social media and moral intuitions would have differentiating effects on trend adoption and behavioral outcomes. Findings from this research may promote awareness of the effect that social media and online influences can have on offline behavior.