Social Change- Evaluation

?
  • Created by: MollyL20
  • Created on: 15-10-20 20:47
View mindmap
  • Social change- Evaluation
    • Research support for normative influences
      • Nolan et al (2008) investigated whether social influence lead to a reduction in energy consumption in a community.
      • They hung messages on the front doors in San Diego every week for a month. The key message was that most residents were trying to reduce their energy consumption
      • As a control, some residents had a different message that just asked them to reduce their energy usage with no reference to other peoples behaviours
      • Nolan found that there were significant decreases in the energy consumption in the first group
      • This is a strength because it shows that conformity can lead to social change through NSI
    • Minority influence is only indirectly effective
      • Social changes happen slowly. it has taken decades for attitudes towards drink driving and smoking to change.
      • Nemeth (1986) argues that the effects of minority influence are likely to be mostly indirect and delayed
      • They are indirect because the majority is affected on matters only related to the issue at hand and not the central issue itself. They might be delayed because the effects may have not been seen for a long time
      • This is a limitation because it shows that its affects are very fragile and its role in social influence may be very limited
    • Role of deeper processing
      • Moscovici's conversation explanation of minority influence argues that minority and majority influence involves different cognitive processes
      • Mackie (1987) disagrees and presents evidence  that majority influence may create a deeper processing if you don't share the views and think the same ways as us
      • When we find out that the majority thinks differently, we think about their reasoning and arguments
      • This means that the central element of the process of minority influence has been challenged and may be incorrect
        • which casts doubt over Moscovici's theory

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Psychology resources:

See all Psychology resources »See all Obedience resources »