Minority Influence

Question 1

Minority Influence

Answer 1

A form of social influence where the minority persuaded others to adopt their beliefs, attitudes or behaviours

• Leads to internalisation (public + private beliefs are changed)
• 1st studied by Moscovici (blue-green slides)

Question 2

Consistency

Answer 2

Influence is most effective when the minority keep the same beliefs causing others to rethink their views

• synchronic: all saying the same thing
• diachronic: same thing over time

Question 3

Commitment

Answer 3

Influence is more powerful when minority is dedicated to their view

E.g. risky extreme activities to show greater commitment - augmentation principle

Question 4

Flexibility

Answer 4

Nemeth - too much consistency is off putting and seem rigid

Minority is more convincing if they accept reasonable counter arguments and adapt their view

Question 5

The process of change

Answer 5

(1) hearing something new causes deeper thinking especially if source is consistent committed and flexible
(2) deeper processing => conversion to minority view + increasing numbers switch
(3) snowball effect - becomes majority view + change has occurred

Question 6

(S) Research Support for Consistency

Answer 6

Moscovici’s blue/green slide study showed consistent minority view greater changing majority view than inconsistent

• meta analysis of ~100 similar studies found consistent minorities are the most influential

SUGGESTS consistent view is min. requirement for minority influence

Question 7

(S) Research Support for Deeper Processing

Answer 7

Martin et al - ppl were less willing to change the initial viewpoint given if they had listen to an agreeing minority group vs a majority

SUGGESTS minority messages were deeply processed + had a more enduring affect - central to how minority influence works

Question 8

Counter to Research Support for Deeper Processing (L)

Answer 8

Real-world social influence is more complicated than controlled research

• Minorities have committed to cause due to often facing hostile opposition which is absent in research - just smallest group

THUS Martin et al’s findings are limited in its application to real-world situations

Question 9

(L) Artificial Tasks e.g. Moscovici et al’s + identifying colours

Answer 9

• Research is far removed from minorities trying to change behaviour of majorities
  => e.g. jury decisions + political campaigning w/ v important outcomes that can be life or death

SUGGESTS findings of minority studies lack external validity

Question 10

(L) EXTRA: Power of Minority Influence

Answer 10

In Moscivici’s study agreement w/ a consistent minority was low - 8%
SUGGESTS minority influence is quite rare + not a useful concept

However, when pps wrote answers privately = more likey to agree w/ minority view
SUGGESTS view expressed by people in public is “tip of the iceberg’