Psychology: Social Influence - Minority Influence
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- Created by: XmyG111
- Created on: 19-11-20 12:37
What is Minority Influence?
- When the Minority can influence the Majority.
- A small number influences a large group of people.
- Where the Minority persuades the majority to adopt their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours.
- A small number influences a large group of people.
- Where the Minority persuades the majority to adopt their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours.
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What is Minority Influence most likely
to lead to?
(A type of Conformity)
to lead to?
(A type of Conformity)
- Internalisation.
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Moscovici (1969)
(Calling a blue slide green)
(Calling a blue slide green)
- Groups of 6, asked to estimate the colour of 36 slides.
- 4/6 participants in groups were real.
- 2 conditions; consistent and inconsistent.
- Consistent: 2 confederates stated that the slides were green on every occasion.
- Inconsistent: 2 confederates
- 4/6 participants in groups were real.
- 2 conditions; consistent and inconsistent.
- Consistent: 2 confederates stated that the slides were green on every occasion.
- Inconsistent: 2 confederates
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How many participants were there in the Moscovici (1969) Experiment?
- 172 participants.
- They were Female
- They were American.
- They were Female
- They were American.
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Findings of the Moscovici (1969) Experiment.
- In the consistent condition, 8.4% of the participants agreed with the confederates and stated that all of the slides were green.
- Overall, 32% of the participants stated that a
slide was green on at least one occasion.
- In the inconsistent condition,
- Overall, 32% of the participants stated that a
slide was green on at least one occasion.
- In the inconsistent condition,
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Consistency
(Minority Influence)
(Minority Influence)
- The majority have to be consistent in their view.
- Synchronicity: The majority all say the same thing.
- Diachronicity: They have been saying the same thing for a long time.
- Consistency makes people rethink their view.
- Synchronicity: The majority all say the same thing.
- Diachronicity: They have been saying the same thing for a long time.
- Consistency makes people rethink their view.
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Commitment
(Minority Influence)
(Minority Influence)
- The minority have to take risks to show that what they believe is worthwhile.
- Have to demonstrate commitment to the cause/their beliefs make people think: "They must have a point if they're willing to do THAT".
- Have to demonstrate commitment to the cause/their beliefs make people think: "They must have a point if they're willing to do THAT".
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Flexibility
(Minority Influence)
(Minority Influence)
- Consistency can sometimes be interpreted negatively.
- Being too consistent can make them seem inflexible and rigid.
- Minority have to be flexible and accept counter arguments and adapt their PoV accordingly.
- A balance is needed between flexibility a
- Being too consistent can make them seem inflexible and rigid.
- Minority have to be flexible and accept counter arguments and adapt their PoV accordingly.
- A balance is needed between flexibility a
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Research support for Minority Influence
(Wood et al (1994))
(Consistency)
(Wood et al (1994))
(Consistency)
- Wood et al (1994) found exactly the same as Moscovici after conducting a meta-analysis.
- This suggests that consistency is a major factor in minority influence.
- This suggests that consistency is a major factor in minority influence.
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Research support for Minority Influence
(Nemeth)
(Flexability)
(Nemeth)
(Flexability)
- Involved a made up scenario where a jury had to decide if a person should get compensation.
- Found that when a confederate out forward his view and refused to change his mind had no
effect on other group members.
- When the confederate compromised, he
- Found that when a confederate out forward his view and refused to change his mind had no
effect on other group members.
- When the confederate compromised, he
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Problems with evidence used to investigate Minority Influence
(Moscovici)
(Moscovici)
- An artificial task.
- Lacks mundane realism.
- Suggests that research findings may lack
external validity and cannot explain how minority influence works in real life.
- Lacks mundane realism.
- Suggests that research findings may lack
external validity and cannot explain how minority influence works in real life.
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Problems when trying to apply explanations
to real life Minority Influence
to real life Minority Influence
- In real life there is more involved than just numbers.
- Majorities tend to have more power and status.
- Minorities are often very committed to their cause because they face such hostile opposition.
- This suggests that research cannot reflect real lif
- Majorities tend to have more power and status.
- Minorities are often very committed to their cause because they face such hostile opposition.
- This suggests that research cannot reflect real lif
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When does Social Change occur?
- When societies adopt new beliefs, attitudes and ways of doing things. They then become widely accepted as the norm.
- This becomes a change in society.
- This becomes a change in society.
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Drawing attention to an issue
- If we are exposed to the view of a minority, we are forced to consider how they compare to our views.
- It gives social proof that the problem exists.
- It gives social proof that the problem exists.
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Deeper processing/cognitive conflict
- We might not be able to dismiss the minority as off or abnormal, if they've given us proof of
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Consistency
(Social Change)
(Social Change)
- Social change can occur provided that the individual expresses their argument consistently.
- If people are consistent, it leads people to believe that what they are saying must really be true.
- If people are consistent, it leads people to believe that what they are saying must really be true.
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Augmentation Principle
- If risks are involved in putting an argument or a particular point of view forward, then those who express those views are taken more seriously than others.
- If people are seen to be suffering for their cause, the impact on others is said to be increas
- If people are seen to be suffering for their cause, the impact on others is said to be increas
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Snowball Effect
- Minority Influence has a very small effect to begin with.
- Once a few members of the majority start to move towards the majority position, the influence starts to gather momentum as more and more people pay attention to the minority view.
- A tipping p
- Once a few members of the majority start to move towards the majority position, the influence starts to gather momentum as more and more people pay attention to the minority view.
- A tipping p
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Social Cryptoamnesia
- Eventually people have a memory that change occurred, but do not remember how it happened.
- Things used to be different but we do not remember the one thing that lead to the change.
- Things used to be different but we do not remember the one thing that lead to the change.
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Learning from conformity: Normative Social Influence
- People alter their behaviour to fit in with the norm.
- Provide information about what other
people are doing.
- Social change is encouraged by making people think that it is what everyone else is doing.
- Provide information about what other
people are doing.
- Social change is encouraged by making people think that it is what everyone else is doing.
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Learning form obedience: Gradual Commitment
- Once a small instruction is obeyed, it becomes more difficult to resist a bigger one. ('Foot in the door' technique).
- Once you have agreed to one order, you feel obliged to continue following the orders. ('Door-in-the-face' technique).
- Once you have agreed to one order, you feel obliged to continue following the orders. ('Door-in-the-face' technique).
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Nolan et al (2008)
(Research Support for Social Change)
(Research Support for Social Change)
- Hung messages on people's front doors every week for a month stating that most residents were trying to reduce their energy consumption.
- Nolan found a decrease in the amount of energy consumption because they thought their neighbours were doing the sa
- Nolan found a decrease in the amount of energy consumption because they thought their neighbours were doing the sa
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Evidence of real life applications that brought about Social Change
A questionnaire found that only 20% of young adults had driven after consuming alcohol and over 90% believe that other people in their age group had driven after drinking.
- The ad campaign corrected this message by putting out posters that said "Most you
- The ad campaign corrected this message by putting out posters that said "Most you
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Challenges to the view that Minority Influence brings about Social Change
- History challenges the view.
- Strong tendency for people to follow the status quo so people are less likely to engage in Social Change.
- Nemeth argued that Minority Influence is very weak and may be delayed.
- This suggests that using Minority Influen
- Strong tendency for people to follow the status quo so people are less likely to engage in Social Change.
- Nemeth argued that Minority Influence is very weak and may be delayed.
- This suggests that using Minority Influen
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
- Internalisation.
Back
What is Minority Influence most likely
to lead to?
(A type of Conformity)
to lead to?
(A type of Conformity)
Card 3
Front
- Groups of 6, asked to estimate the colour of 36 slides.
- 4/6 participants in groups were real.
- 2 conditions; consistent and inconsistent.
- Consistent: 2 confederates stated that the slides were green on every occasion.
- Inconsistent: 2 confederates
- 4/6 participants in groups were real.
- 2 conditions; consistent and inconsistent.
- Consistent: 2 confederates stated that the slides were green on every occasion.
- Inconsistent: 2 confederates
Back
Card 4
Front
- 172 participants.
- They were Female
- They were American.
- They were Female
- They were American.
Back
Card 5
Front
- In the consistent condition, 8.4% of the participants agreed with the confederates and stated that all of the slides were green.
- Overall, 32% of the participants stated that a
slide was green on at least one occasion.
- In the inconsistent condition,
- Overall, 32% of the participants stated that a
slide was green on at least one occasion.
- In the inconsistent condition,
Back
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