Minority Influence

Question 1

What is minority influence?

Answer 1

Where people reject the established norm of the majority group members and gradually move towards the position of the minority, changing their attitudes and behaviour in line with minority group members.

Question 2

What does minority influence involve and what does it result in?

Answer 2

Conversion and it results in the internalisation of the views of the minority.

Question 3

Why does conversion occur?

Answer 3

When being exposed to a viewpoint different to your own, it causes cognitive conflict which makes us think more deeply about an issue and reappraise our perspective.

Question 4

What 3 factors help minority influence be successful?

Answer 4

Flexibility, Consistency and Commitment.

Question 5

What is consistency?

Answer 5

Stability in the expressed position over time and agreement between members of the minority.

Question 6

Why is consistency effective?

Answer 6

If a minority adopt a consistent approach, others come to reasses the situation and take the issue more seriously.

Question 7

Describe how Woods meta-analysis shows consistency is effective in minority influence.

Answer 7

Completed a meta-analysis of 97 studies of minority influence and found that minorities that were perceived as being especially consistent in expressing their opinion we’re particularly influential.

Question 8

What is commitment?

Answer 8

Showing a degree of dedication to a particular cause which suggests certaincy and confidence.

Question 9

How may you demonstrate commitment?

Answer 9

When your dedication is at some cost or inconvenience to you.

Question 10

What may greater commitment do?

Answer 10

Persuade the majority group members to take the majority seriously or even convert to the minority.

Question 11

What is flexibility?

Answer 11

A willingness to compromise when expressing a position.

Question 12

Who conducted a study on consistency of minority influence?

Answer 12

Moscovici

Question 13

Describe the procedure of Moscovici’s study.

Answer 13

• Each group compromised four naive participants and a minority or two confederates.
• Shown a series of blue slides that varied only in intensity and were asked to judge the colour of each slide.
• In the consistent experimental condition, the confederates repeatedly called the blue slides green (on every trial).
• In the inconsistent experimental condition, the confederates called the slides green on 2/3 of the trials ans blue on 1/3.
• In the control condition, had no confederates, the participants called the slides “blue” throughout.

Question 14

By how much did the consistent minority influence the naive participants to say “green”?

Answer 14

8% of every trial.

Question 15

Describe the influence of the inconsistent experimental group.

Answer 15

Had very little influence, results did not differ significantly from control group.

Question 16

What were the participants asked to do after the study?

Answer 16

Sort 16 coloured discs into either “blue” or “green”.

Question 17

What were the results of the sorting coloured discs?

Answer 17

The consistent condition judged more of the discs to be green than the inconsistent condition.

Question 18

Who studied the effect of flexibility on majority influence?

Answer 18

Nemeth and Brilmayer

Question 19

Describe the Nemeth and Brilmayer study.

Answer 19

They simulated a jury situation where group members discussed the amount of compensation to be paid to someone involved in a ski-lift accident.

Question 20

What happened when a confederate in the Nemeth and Brilmayer study put forward an alternative opinion and refused to change his position?

Answer 20

Had no effect on other group members.

Question 21

What happened in the Nemeth and Brilmayer study when a confederate compromised?

Answer 21

Showed some degree of shift towards minority and did excert influence in the rest of the group.