Lesson 11 - Minority Influence

Question 1

Minority Influence

Answer 1

Small groups or individuals changing the way the majority behaves and thinks

Question 2

Minority Influence

Moscovici (1985)

Answer 2

Minority influence leads to conversion

When individuals change their private beliefs and views because of minority influence

Question 3

Minority Influence Factors

Answer 3

Committed
Consistent
Flexible

Question 4

Minority Influence Factors

Committed

Answer 4

Shown when members of minority demonstrate their dedication to their beliefs
Make scarcities (augmentation principle)
Take risks
Be inconvenienced
Shows minority is not acting out of self interest

Question 5

Minority Influence Factors

Consistent

Answer 5

Occurs when a minority repeatedly gives same message over time
Makes a majority reassess their beliefs and consider the issue more carefully

Question 6

Minority Influence Factors

Flexible

Answer 6

Flexibility/non-dogmatic
Minority shows they are willing to listen to other viewpoints
Majority then listens to minority point of view and takes their argument more seriously

Question 7

Snowball Effect

Answer 7

Minority influence initially has a small effect but then spreads as more people consider the issue being raised
More people convert to minority side
Minority then becomes the majority

Question 8

Social Crypto-Amnesia

Answer 8

Minority influence is a slow process and may even be unconscious
Sometimes individuals are not aware of where the new idea originated from

Question 9

Minority Influence Evaluation
Moscovici (1969)
Positive

Answer 9

Told 172 female participants they were taking part in a colour perception test
Naive participants in groups of 6 with 2 confederates
Participants stated out colour of each slide
Consistent condition, confederates said all 36 slides were green - 8.2% influence
Inconsistent condition, confederates said 24 were green and 12 were blue - 1.25% influence
Consistent minority influence is more effective

Question 10

Minority Influence Evaluation
Sample
Negative

Answer 10

Gender biased - Moscovici (1969) all women, women are more likely to conform than men
Culturally biased - all American
Cannot be generalised to men or other cultures

Question 11

Minority Influence Evaluation
Ecological Validity
Negative

Answer 11

All experiments conducted in labs
Reduces ecological validity
Participants are usually a collection of students who do not know each other and will probably never meet again
People more likely to conform to people they know

Question 12

Minority Influence Evaluation
Moscovici (1969)
Negative

Answer 12

Criticised for deceiving participants
Participants told they were taking part in a colour perception test
No informed consent of participants
Requires deception for valid results however
If participants aware of true aim, demand characteristics could be displayed

Question 13

Minority Influence Evaluation Points

Answer 13

Moscovici (1969) Positive

Sample Negative
Ecological Validity Negative
Moscovici (1969) Negative