Social influence and social change

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Created by: Gottowork
Created on: 15-05-16 16:46

What is social change?

Whole societies adopt new beliefs and attitudes, e.g. gay rights

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How does minority influence create social change?

Drawing attention, consistency, deeper processing, augmentation principle, snowball effect, social cryptomnesia

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Explain how we could use the civil rights movement of the 1950s/1960s to explain social change

Civil rights marches drew attention, many marches and many people taking part, people thought about unjustness, 'freedom riders' risked their lives, activists continued to press for changes, people don't remember how change happened

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What do we learn from conformity research?

E.g. environmental and health campaigns appeal to normative social influence - providing info. about what others were doing, draw attention to what majority were doing

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What do we learn from obedience research?

Zimbardo suggested it's gradual commitment - once small instruction is obeyed, more difficult to resist bigger one. People 'drift' into new behaviour

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What research support is there for normative influences?

Nolan et al. - hung messages on front doors of houses in San Diego, California every week for one month, 'most residents trying to reduce energy usage', control group asked to reduce energy. Significant decreases in energy usage in first group

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Why is minority influence only indirectly effective?

Effects of minority influence likely to be indirect and delayed - effects may not be seen for some time, maj. only influenced on matters related to issue at hand

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Role of deeper processing...

Maj. influence creates deeper processing as we like to believe others share our views and think in the same way - think about their arguments if they believe something different. Casts doubt on validity - deeper processing has been challenged

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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

How does minority influence create social change?

Back

Drawing attention, consistency, deeper processing, augmentation principle, snowball effect, social cryptomnesia

Card 3

Front

Explain how we could use the civil rights movement of the 1950s/1960s to explain social change

Back

Card 4

Front

What do we learn from conformity research?

Back

Card 5

Front

What do we learn from obedience research?

Back

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Social influence and social change