L12.1 - Minority Influence Social Change

Question 1

5 stages

Answer 1

1) Drawing attention to the issue
2) Cognitive conflict
3) Consistency of position
4) Augmentation principle
5) Snowball effect

Question 2

Describe social change

Answer 2

Change in beliefs and attitudes take place on a large scale and affect whole of society, e.g. gay rights

Question 3

Describe cognitive conflict

Answer 3

Majority start to question own beliefs and ask whether minority has a point so think more deeply

Question 4

Describe consistency

Answer 4

Minorities more influential when consistent over time and with each other

Question 5

Describe augmentation principle

Answer 5

Majority want to see minority suffer to demonstrate commitment and be taken more seriously and draws more attention

Question 6

Describe snowball effect

Answer 6

Some of majority move to minority, causing more of majority to move until minority becomes the majority and there’s a large-scale change

Question 7

+ related to gay rights

Answer 7

People kept public beliefs on gay rights in line with majority but private beliefs changed to minority - compliance and conversion
Minority influence is important to change private beliefs and cause social change

Question 8

+ to exposure to majority and minority influence

Answer 8

Participants converged beliefs to majority

But minority stimulated creative thinking and active information processes, may lead to questioning stance over time

Question 9

• related to resisting arguments

Answer 9

Publicly and privately resisted minority viewpoint when confronted by one