Minority Influence

Question 1

What is minority influence?

Answer 1

A form of social influence in which a minority of people persuade others to adopt their beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. Leads to internalisation.

Question 2

How is conformity different to minority influence?

Answer 2

Conformity= Majority
MI= Minority.

Both still being influenced in both instances though.

Question 3

What are the three main processes in minority influence?

Answer 3

Consistency, commitment and flexibility.

Question 4

What is consistency?

Answer 4

Keeping the same views/ beliefs over time and between individuals that form the minority.

Question 5

Why is consistency in the minority’s views important?

Answer 5

Increases amount of interest from other people.

Question 6

What is it called when the people in the minority are all saying the same thing?

Answer 6

Synchronic consistency.

Question 7

What is it called when the minority have been saying the same thing for a period of time?

Answer 7

Diachronic consistency.

Question 8

What is synchronic consistency?

Answer 8

People in the minority are all saying the same thing.

Question 9

What is diachronic constancy?

Answer 9

When the majority have been saying the same thing for some time now.

Question 10

How does consistency influence people?

Answer 10

Makes other people rethink their own views (maybe they’ve got a point).

Question 11

What is commitment?

Answer 11

When the minority demonstrates their dedication to their position. E.g. making personal sacrifices.

Question 12

Why do some people engage in quite extreme activities?

Answer 12

Draw attention to their views.

Question 13

Why is it important that these extreme activities cause risk to the minority?

Answer 13

Shows commitment to the cause.

Question 14

What is it called when the majority pay even more attention? (“He must really believe what he is saying, so perhaps I ought to consider his view”).

Answer 14

Augmentation process.

Question 15

What is the augmentation process?

Answer 15

When the majority pay even more attention. (“He must really believe what he is saying, so perhaps I ought to consider his view”).

Question 16

What did Nemeth argue about consistency?

Answer 16

Being consistent and repeating the same arguments and behaviours may be seen as rigid and off- putting to the majority.

Question 17

How should the minority be instead of consistent?

Answer 17

Should be able to adapt their point of view and accept reasonable counter arguments (flexibility).

Question 18

What is the snowball effect?

Answer 18

Overtime, more people become ‘converted’, switching from minority to majority. The more this happens, the faster the rate of conversion. Gradually the minority view becomes the majority and social change has occurred.

Question 19

What is a key study in minority influence?

Answer 19

Moscovici et al (1969).

Question 20

What was the procedure for Moscovici’s study?

Answer 20

A group of 6 people viewed a set of 36 blue-green coloured sides varying in intensity, then stated whether the slides were blue or green. Three conditions: 1. Confederates consistently said green 2. Confederates were inconsistent about the colour 3. A control group- no confederates.

Question 21

What were the finings and conclusions from Moscovici et al’s study in minority influence?

Answer 21

Consistent majority: Ppts gave same wrong answer 8.42% of the time, 32% gave same answer on at least one trial. Inconsistent majority- Agreement fell to 1.25%. Control group- Wrongly identified colour 0.25% of the time.

Question 22

Nam three evaluation points for minority influence.

Answer 22

Research evidence demonstrating importance of consistency, research evidence shows range to minority position involves deeper though and artificial tasks (Moscovici et al).

Question 23

Evaluation- Research evidence demonstrating the important of consistency?

Answer 23

Moscovici found a consistent majority had a greater effect on people than an inconsistent majority. Wood et al did a meta analysis of almost 100 similar studies and found majorities seen as consistent were most influential.

Question 24

Evaluation- Research evidence shows change to minority position involves deeper thought?

Answer 24

Martin et al gave ppts a message supporting a particular viewpoint and attitudes measured. They then heard an endorsement from either a minority or majority. They then heard a conflicting and measured attitudes again. People were less willing to change their opinion to new conflicting group if they listened to minority rather than majority. This suggest minority message had been processed more deeply ad had a more enduring effect.

Question 25

A limitation of minority influence? - Artificial tasks

Answer 25

Moscovici’s task was far removed from how minorities try to change majority opinion in real life. In jury decision- making and political campaigning, outcomes are vastly more important, maybe even a matter of life or death. The findings lack external validity as they do not tell us about how minority influence works in real life situations.