**L11 - Minority Influence Flashcards
what is minority influence?
MINORITY INFLUENCE occurs when VERY PERSUASIVE SMALL GROUPS, or even INDIVIDUALS CHANGE THE WAY THE MAJORITY BEHAVES AND THINKS - this is known as minority influence
what idea did MOSCOVICI propose?
MOSCOVICI considered MINORITY INFLUENCE to LEAD TO CONVERSION. CONVERSION is when individuals CHANGE THEIR PRIVATE BELIEFS AND VIEWS BECAUSE OF MINORITY INFLUENCE
when are minority groups most likely to be convincing? (CCF)
MINORITY GROUPS are MOST LIKELY TO BE CONVINCING when they are:
- COMMITTED
- CONSISTENT
- FLEXIBLE
how does commitment help minority groups?
COMMITTED - COMMITMENT is shown when members of the minority DEMONSTRATE THEIR DEDICATION TO THEIR BELIEF by perhaps MAKING SACRIFICES (AUGMENTATION PRINCIPLE) or by TAKING RISKS - this shows that the MINORITY IS NOT ACTING OUT OF SELF INTEREST
how does being consistent help minority groups?
CONSISTENT - CONSISTENCY occurs when a minority REPEATEDLY GIVES THE SAME MESSAGE OVER TIME, this MAKES A MAJORITY REASSESS THEIR BELIEF and CONSIDER THE ISSUE MORE CAREFULLY
how does being flexible help minority groups?
FLEXIBLE - flexibility/being NON DOGMATIC is when a minority show they are WILLING TO LISTEN TO OTHER VIEWPOINTS, the MAJORITY WILL THEN LISTEN TO THE MINORITY POINT OF VIEW and TAKE THEIR ARGUMENT MORE SERIOUSLY
what is the snowball effect?
MINORITY INFLUENCE INITIALLY HAS A SMALL EFFECT but then SPREADS AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE CONSIDER THE ISSUE BEING RAISED and MORE PEOPLE ARE CONVERTED TO THE MINORITY VIEWPOINT.
Eventually it reaches a TIPPING POINT where the MINORITY BECOMES THE MAJORITY, this is known as the SNOWBALL EFFECT
what is SOCIAL CRYPTO-AMNESIA?
MINORITY INFLUENCE is a SLOW PROCESS and may even be UNCONSCIOUS, sometimes the individual is NOT EVEN AWARE OF WHERE THE NEW IDEA ORIGINATED FROM, this is called SOCIAL CRYPTO-AMNESIA.
+ MOSCOVICI
MOSCOVICI told 172 FEMALE PPS that they were TAKING PART IN A COLOUR PERCEPTION TASK. The NAIIVE PPS were PLACED IN GROUPS of 6 and were SHOWN 36 SLIDES which were VARYING SHADES OF BLUE. 2 OUT OF THE 6 PPS WERE CONFEDERATES, the PPS HAD TO STATE ALOUD THE COLOUR OF EACH SLIDE
In the CONSISTENT condition, the CONFEDERATES SAID THE SLIDE WAS GREEN in ALL 36 TRIALS, in the INCONSISTENT condition, the CONFEDERATES SAID THAT 24 OF THE SLIDES WERE GREEN AND 12 WERE BLUE
In the CONSISTENT condition pps were SWAYED BY THE MINORITY 8.2% OF THE TIME but in the INCONSISTENT condition pps were only swayed 1.25% OF THE TIME, this shows that a CONSISTENT minority is MORE EFFECTIVE than an INCONSISTENT MINORITY
- GENDER BIASED STUDIES
the SAMPLES OF STUDIES into MINORITY INFLUENCE are GENDER BIASED, e.g MOSCOVICI ONLY USED WOMEN - as a result we CANNOT CONCLUDE THAT MALE PPS WOULD RESPOND TO MINORITY INFLUENCE IN THE SAME WAY
RESEARCH OFTEN SUGGESTS that WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO CONFORM THAN MEN therefore FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED to determine the EFFECT OF MINORITY INFLUENCE ON MALE PPS
- CULTURALLY BIASED
The SAMPLES OF STUDIES into minority influence are also CULTURALLY BIASED because ALL OF THE PPS WERE FROM AMERICA
As a result the FINDINGS CANNOT BE GENERALISED TO OTHER CULTURES, we CANNOT CONCLUDE THAT PPS FROM OTHER CULTURES would RESPOND TO MINORITY INFLUENCE IN THE SAME WAY
- LAB EXPERIMENTS
MOST OF THE STUDIES into minority influence were LAB EXPERIMENTS which RAISES THE QUESTION of ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY.
The PPS IN LAB EXPERIMENTS are usually a COLLECTION OF STUDENTS who DON’T KNOW EACH OTHER AND WILL PROBABLY NEVER MEET EACH OTHER AGAIN
- DECEPTION IN STUDIES
STUDIES INTO MINORITY INFLUENCE have been CRITICISED for DECEIVING PPS. In MOSCOVICI’s study pps were TOLD THAT THEY WERE TAKING PART IN A COLOUR PERCEPTION TEST - this means that MOSCOVICI DID NOT GAIN THE PPS INFORMED CONSENT
Although it is SEEN AS UNETHICAL TO DECEIVE PPS however, THIS STUDY REQUIRED DECEPTION IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE VALID RESULTS, otherwise DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS MAY HAVE BEEN DISPLAYED AND AFFECTED THE VALIDITY
