Social Influence: Compliance and Conformity

A review of how people are influenced, mostly without noticing, through goals they already hold.

Cialdini, R. B. & Goldstein, N. J. (2004). Social Influence: Compliance and Conformity. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 591–621.

Type

Journal article

Find it

doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.142015

Checked

Against the abstract, 15 September 2026

Why it is on the list

Cialdini and Goldstein organise the compliance and conformity research around three goals people pursue: seeing things accurately, keeping relationships, and feeling good about themselves. Much influence works subtly and outside awareness. Week 12 sketches persuasion as the protocol used on purpose, and this is where the reading starts.