Minority Influence Flashcards
What is minority influence?
-A form of SI and leads to the majority converting their beliefs values or behaviour to match minority
when is minority influence more likely to happen?
When the minority bas been more consistent and committed in their influence
what are different factors that can enhance effectiveness of minority?
Consistency, commitment, flexibility
What is consistency?
-When people are first exposed to a minority position they may assume the minority is wrong
-Most effective, if the minority keeps same beliefs, both overtime (diachronic) between all the individuals that form the minority (synchronic)
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Why is consistency effective and what does it lead to?
-Draws attention to the minority view and may get the majority to reassess the situation, and re think their own lives.
-can lead to the majority, thinking deeply, leading to cognitive conflict, and overtime, internalisation of the minority’s view
What is commitment?
-Minority influence (more powerful) if minority demonstrates dedication to their position, cause or activity e.g. by making personal sacrifices or engaging in extreme activities that are some risk to the minority
-More shown by minority, more influential minority would be
why is commitment effective?
because it shows the minorities not acting out of self interest which means they are taken more seriously
What is flexibility?
-nemeth (1986) argued that consistency is not only important factor in minority influence bc it can be interpreted negatively-relentless consistency can be seen by the majority as unreasonable
-off putting to maj and is unlikely to result in any conversions to the majority positions
Why is flexibility effective?
-show us the majority that by being flexible, they are willing to listen and adapt their pov
-the ability to compromise, makes the majority more sympathetic to their case
-if minority ie flexible, they are more likely to be seen as potential for serious change
What is the snowball effect?
processes of people switching from the majority position to the minority position
what was Moscovci’s aim?
To Investigate if a consistent minority can influence the majority in a unanimous situation
what was moscovic’s procedure?
-32 groups of 6 women: 2 confeds and 4 participants in each group
-consistent conditions- confeds said green
What is research support for the effectiveness of a minority?
-moscovici et al( 1969)
-found in lab experiment- females
-2 consistent- participants agreed with minority in 8.42% of trials
2 inconsistent- only 1.25 agreed (said was green)
-This therefore suggests that a consistent minority opinion has a greater effect on other people than an inconsistent opinion, demonstrating that consistency is a key element in minority influence
