Running head: TWELVE ANGRY MEN SOCIAL INFLUENCE & GROUP BEHAVIOR

Twelve Angry Men Social Influence and Group Behavior

Raquel Hardman
Salt Lake Community College

TWELVE ANGRY MEN SOCIAL INFLUENCE & GROUP BEHAVIOR

Twelve Angry Men Social Influence and Group Behavior

A quick look at social influence and group behavior.

A few basic foundations of social influence and group behavior are; through
informational influence we have a desire to obtain accurate information so we can make
judgements. We also tend to have a desire to fit in. Normative influence steers us to gain a
reward and avoid punishments by conforming.
Regarding groups, the social impact theory relies on three factors; number of members,
strength of participants and their proximity. Personal behaviors also influence the group; such as
gender, desire for control and personal awareness. Groups are necessary for accomplishing tasks
and satisfying socio-emotional needs. The size of the group as well as its cohesiveness influence
group conformity. Pluralistic ignorance is the tendency to believe that everyone has interpreted a
situation the same way.
Through social facilitation our performance is affected by others, either through their
mere presence, their evaluation of us or by simply distracting us. When confronted by a
nonconformist it is a groups reaction to try and persuade them or reject them if they will not
conform to the groups belief. Factors that allow for compliance are; positive mood, reciprocity
and reasoning. Group think is a deterioration of mental effectiveness and is a result of an
abundant desire to reach a consensus.
We are influenced the greatest by those who appear confident. A group leader is the one
who can influence and direct the group, sometimes this person is assigned the position and often
this person, through their attributes and attraction, naturally emerges as this leader. A

TWELVE ANGRY MEN SOCIAL INFLUENCE & GROUP BEHAVIOR

transformational leader is one who can change the outlook and behavior and move toward the
greater good of the group.
Group dilemmas arise when choices and decisions must be made and there is not a
consensus within the group, yet one must be reached. Social influence is power by either a
person or a group to sway the attitude or belief of another person. Minority groups are able to
best administer influence when they are consistent and present themselves as confident and
flexible.
A brief summary of the movie Twelve Angry Men
In this movie you see an excellently orchestrated verbal and non-verbal dialogue of social
psychology. In Twelve Angry Men a jury is convened of twelve men with diverse
socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as various mental strengths and weaknesses. These twelve
jury members must reach a unanimous decision on whether or not a teenaged boy is guilty of the
stabbing death of his own father. The men congregate in a small conference room with poor
lighting and stifling heat. A group dilemma arises when they are not unanimous on their
conclusions and must work together to find a consensus. Which in the end they are able to reach.
What goes on in this jury room.
In the beginning of the movie the foreman, who is agreeable and eager to please and
relying heavily on pluralistic ignorance in assuming every juror has interpreted the trial the same,
takes a quick preliminary vote by the raising of hands for guilty and not guilty. Immediately
several hands shoot up for guilty and then slowly one by one each of the remaining hands go up
that is all but one hand. With eleven guilty and one not guilty it is quickly discovered there is a

TWELVE ANGRY MEN SOCIAL INFLUENCE & GROUP BEHAVIOR

non-conformist within their group. Juror number eight, who appears to be quiet and reserved, is
the single dissenting vote and social influence begins in earnest.
Some within the group immediately begin to badger the sole not guilty juror with
laughing and passive aggressive taunts like; boy oh boy, there is always one! or lets be
reasonable proving anti-conformity and rejection of the nonconformist is at work. Further
rejection of the non-conformist is seen as two of the men decide to play a game of dice rather
than listen to what the eighth juror has to say.
With the eleven to one vote taken it is decided that each juror will take turns explaining to
the eighth juror why he feels the boy is guilty. With each jurors explanation juror number eight
is able to remain calm and confident as he slowly chips away at each of their responses. Juror
number eight is exhibiting minority influence as he begins to sway the majority and administer
his influence.
A few of the jurors stand out as particularly combative; juror number ten and juror
number three. Often times juror number three raises his voice with his fellow panelists and
speaks in derogatory and dismissive tones with them. He even exhibits what he believes to be
status and power by suggesting to juror number two that they can talk whenever they want
(and he can) now just be quiet Juror number two quickly obeys and shows compliance and
obedience and sits quietly.
Juror number three consistently badgers, admonishes and hassles anyone who speaks or
thinks differently than he does. Another vote is called, only this time the vote will be anonymous
and informational influence is seen when juror number nine switches his vote to not guilty for
the sole purpose of giving juror number eight more time to explain why he has reasonable doubt.

TWELVE ANGRY MEN SOCIAL INFLUENCE & GROUP BEHAVIOR

With the garnered support of jurist number nine, slowly more minority influence takes hold as
one at a time each of the jurists minds and votes are changed to not guilty.
Some of the battles the eighth juror must deal with are; juror number seven and his need
to just get done quickly so he can go to a ball game. He also deals with prejudice feelings in a
few of the jurists; serves them right they are all alike those people are all phrases that are
said amongst the group when talking about the ethnic group from which the boy on trial comes.
Personalities like juror number twelve, who is easily impressed and really only wants to please
the others and to fit in or juror number four who seems well educated and reasonable as is able to
battle juror number eight with facts and information from the case.
As juror number eight slowly provides countering information to each of the guilty
arguments, steadily working through each jurists opinions, you witness jurors like juror number
four change his vote and acknowledge ...I am convincedI now have reasonable doubt. Juror
number eight was an excellent transformational leader. He was able to change the opinion of this
jury panel and lead them to a unanimous not guilty verdict of this young boy.
The movie Twelve Angry Men is a comprehensive look at social influence and group
behavior. It is also a very good indicator of what prejudices existed in America in the early
1950s. It is also an indicator of how tumultuous family life can be and the baggage from ones
own family one can bring into any situation, including one where another life is at stake. It was
not until juror number eight and juror number four reminds juror number three that this boy on
trial for murder is not his boy, that he is somebody elses boy and that he should be allowed to
live, does juror number three finally agree and cast his not guilty vote.

TWELVE ANGRY MEN SOCIAL INFLUENCE & GROUP BEHAVIOR

References
Fonda, Henry and Reginald Rose (Producers) & Sidney Lumet (Director). (1957) 12 Angry Men.
United States of American. The Criterion Collection. Film. (2011).
Franzoi, Stephen. (2016) Social Psychology. Seventh Edition. Redding, CA: PVT Publishing,
LLC. Print.
Rose, Reginald. ((2006) Twelve Angry Men. New York, New York: Penguin Books. Print