1.9 Social influence processes in social change Flashcards
What are the 6 steps that allow minority influence to create social change?
- Draw attention to an issue
- Consistency of position
- Deeper processing
- The augmentation principle
- The snowball effect
- Social cryptomnesia `
Why must a minority influence draw attention to an issue in order to cause social change?
This creates a cognitive conflict that the majority is motivated to reduce.
Why must a minority influence show a consistency of position in order to cause social change?
This shows that the minority influence has an unswerving message and intent
Describe the augmentation principle
Minorities take risks to further the cause.
If a minority appears willing to suffer for their views they are seen as more committed and so taken more seriously.
What is a snowball effect, when looking at social change?
People switch from a majority position to a minority one
Give an example of social change through minority influence.
The suffragettes - The right for women to vote
what is social change?
occurs when a society or section of society adopts a new belief or way of behaving which then becomes widely accepted as the norm
what are social norms interventions?
attempt to correct misperceptions of the normative behaviour of peers in an attempt to change the risky behaviour of a target population
Summarise social change through minority influence
drawing attention to an issue
minority creates a conflict between majority position and minority position
minorities more influential when they express their views consistently
augmentation principle - minorities more influential if they suffer for their views
the snowball effect - an initial small effect spreads more widely until it reaches tipping point
Summarise social change though majority influence - can you give an example?
if people perceive something as the norm, they alter their behaviour to fit that norm
correcting misperceptions about ‘actual’ norms using social interventions
e.g most of us don’t drive and drink campaign
result in a drop of drink driving by 13.7%
Evaluation of social influence processes in social change
influence of minority more likely to be latent rather than direct
being perceived as ‘deviant’ limits the influence of minorities
social norms interventions have their limitations - e.g. not all lead to social change
Define social cryptomnesia?
When people have a memory that social change has occurred but some people have no memory of the events leading to that change
