An experimental test of deviant modeling
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Date
2016
Authors
Gallupe, Owen
Nguyen, Holly
Bouchard, Martin
Schulenberg, Jennifer L.
Chenier, Allison
Cook, Katie D.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
SAGE
Abstract
Objectives: Test the effect of deviant peer modeling on theft as conditioned by verbal support
for theft and number of deviant models.
Methods: Two related randomized experiments in which participants were given a chance to
steal a gift card (ostensibly worth $15) from the table in front of them. Each experiment had a
control group, a verbal prompting group in which confederate(s) endorsed stealing, a behavioral
modeling group in which confederate(s) committed theft, and a verbal prompting plus behavioral
modeling group in which confederate(s) did both. The first experiment used one confederate; the
second experiment used two. The pooled sample consisted of 335 undergraduate students.
Results: Participants in the verbal prompting plus behavioral modeling group were most likely to
steal followed by the behavioral modeling group. Interestingly, behavioral modeling was only
influential when two confederates were present. There were no thefts in either the control or
verbal prompting groups regardless of the number of confederates.
Conclusions: Behavioral modeling appears to be the key mechanism, though verbal support can
strengthen the effect of behavioral modeling.
Description
Keywords
Social learning theory, modeling, peer influence, experiment, theft