Minority Influence

Question 1

MINORTIY INFLEUNCE REFERS TO

Answer 1

Situations where ine person or small group influences the beliefs and behaviours of other people

Question 2

minortiy infleunce is distinct from

Answer 2

conformity

Question 3

why is minority infleunce different from conformity

Answer 3

in conformity the majority are doing the influencing

Question 4

in minority influence nad conformity people being influenced may be who

Answer 4

just one person

small group

large group

Question 5

minority infleunce most likely leads to what type of conformity

Answer 5

internalisation - both public behaviour and private beliefs are changed by the process

Question 6

outline moscovi green slide study

Answer 6

group of 6 people asked to view set of 36 blue coloured slides that varied in intensity then state whether they blue or green

in each group 2 confederates who consistently said slides were green

true participant then gave same wrong answer (green) on 8.42 % of trials -w hihc was agreeing with conederates

2nd group of pt exposed to an incosisten minority , in this case agreement with teh answer green fell to 1/25%

A minority must be consistent in its viewpoint (members must be in agreement) if it is going to influence the opinions of a majority.

Question 7

state three main processes in minority influence

Answer 7

consistency

commitment

flexibility

Question 8

minority must be x in their views

Answer 8

consistent

Question 9

what does consistency mean

Answer 9

majority stick to beleifes - if dont no one tak eyou seriously if constantly change mind

Question 10

overtime consistency increases what from other people

Answer 10

amount of interest from other people

Question 11

consitency can take form of agreement between

Answer 11

people in minortiy group (synchronic consistency )

consitency over time (diachronic consistency)

Question 12

synchronic consistency is when

Answer 12

theyre all saying same thing

Question 13

diachronic consistency is when

Answer 13

theyve been saying same thing for some time now

Question 14

a consistency minortity makes other people

Answer 14

start to rethink their own views e.g maybe got a point if they keep saying it

Question 15

what must a minortiy demonstrate tot heir cause or views

Answer 15

commitment

Question 16

how do some minorities draw attention to their views

Answer 16

engage in quite extreme activities

Question 17

what is important about extreme activites and why

Answer 17

present some risk to minority

as shows greater commitment

Question 18

what does majority group do when minority show consistency through doing extreme activities

Answer 18

pay even more attention e.g wow they must really beleive in what theyre saying i should consider her view

Question 19

whats augmentaiton principle

Answer 19

when the majority value the importance of the cause - as the minority are risking their lives for it

Question 20

nemeth argued whats not the only important factor in minority influence

Answer 20

consistency

Question 21

why did nementh argue consitency not only importnat factor in minority influence

Answer 21

can be off putting

Question 22

how will someone whos extremley consitent repeats same behaviours and arguments be percieved

Answer 22

rigid

unbending

dogmatic

Question 23

consitency on its own is unlikely to

Answer 23

gain many ocnverts to the minortiy position

Question 24

flexiblity is when

Answer 24

members of minority prepared to adapt their POV and accept reasonable and valid counterargument

Question 25

key is to strike

Answer 25

balance between flexiblity and consistency

Question 26

hear something new , why may we think more deeply about it

Answer 26

if source of this view is consitent, commited and flexible

Question 27

what important in process of converting to a different minortiy viewpoint

Answer 27

deeper processing which is important

Question 28

in minority infleucen what happens overtime

Answer 28

overtime increasing numbers of people switched from majority position to minority position

theyve become converted

Question 29

what speeds up the rate of conversion

Answer 29

the more people switch from majority to minority positon

Question 30

snowball effect is

Answer 30

when more people are switching from majority to minority posiiton

Question 31

in minority infleunce what gradually happens

Answer 31

minortiy view has become majority view and change has occured

Question 32

whos stuyd and other research helped draw conclusion about the 3 processes in minoruty influence

Answer 32

MOSCOVICI blue green slide xp

Question 33

strengt moscovi researcher support

Answer 33

strength of research into minority influence is research evidene demonstrating the importance of consistency

moscovi et al blue green slide study showed that a consitent minority opinion had a greater effect on changing the views of other people thn an inconsistent opinion

wood et al carried out a meta analysis of almost 100 similar studies and found that minorities who were seen as being consistent were most influential

this suggests presenting a consitetnt view is a minimum requirement for a minortiy trying to infleunce a majority

but i tcan be argued moscovi study study is ungerneralisable as he sued a study of 172 american female pt - this
as result were unable to generalsie results to toerh populations
e.g male pt therefore we cant conclude male pt would repsond to minority influenes in teh same way

furthermore research often suggests that females morelikely than males to conform to due to a greater need for social belinging and approval

therfore further research required to determine effect of minority infleunce on male pt to improve low population validity of this xp

Question 34

STRENGTH - RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR DEEPER PROCESSING martin et al

Answer 34

Evidence showing a change in majoritys position does involve deeper processing of minorities ideas

researchers presented pt with message supporting particualr viewpoint and measured their agreement
a group then heard minortiy group agree with intial view whilst other group heard majority group agree with it
pt then exposed to conflicitingnviews then attitudes measred again

people less willing to chang opinons if lsitend to minority groups than if lsitened to majority group

suggests minority message had been more deeply processed and had a more enduring effect
supporting central argument about how minority infleunce works

Question 35

COUNTERPOINT - RESEARHC INTO DEEP PROCESSING

Answer 35

Research studies such as martin et al make clear distinction between majority and minority . doing this in controlled way is a strength of minority infleunce research but in real world social infleunce situations are much omorecomplciated

e.g majorities usually got lots more power and status than minoritites . minoritites very comitted to their cause - they ahve to be as they often face very hostile opposition

these features are usually absent from minority infleune research - minority i simply smalles t group

therfore martin et al findings limited in what they can tell us about minority influence in rela world

Question 36

outline moscovi green slide study

Answer 36

group of 6 people asked to view set of 36 blue coloured slides that varied in intensity then state whether they blue or green

in each group 2 confederates who consistently said slides were green

true participant then gave same wrong answer (green) on 8.42 % of trials -w hihc was agreeing with conederates