Minority Influence Flashcards
Define minority influence
Form of social influence; minority persuades others to adopt beliefs and values- leading to internalisation.
What must minorities possess if they wish to exert social influence?
Consistency
Commitment
Flexibility
Consistency
-Recognised as most important
-Minority must be consistent in their opposition
what are the 2 forms of consistency?
Synchronic and diachronic
Synchronic consistency
Agreement between all individuals within a minority group
Diachronic consistency
Minority being consistent in their message over time
Why is consistency important?
Causes people to rethink their own views, they wonder if the minority makes a valid point considering they all think the same way.
Why is flexibility important
Minority can be consistent, but being compromising is also necessary to look less extreme- and more co-operative/reasonable.
Why is commitment important
Dedication shown; conversation occurs regarding cause. Commitment helps gain attention, e.g through extreme activities.
What is the augmentation principle?
If there are risks involved, a minority is taken much more seriously. A willingness to be persecuted for ones views, legitimises said views.
The Snowball Effect
Over time, people become more converted. Switch between minority and majority.
Strength: research backs consistency’s importance
Moscovici’s blue/green slide study. Showed a consistent opinion had a greater influence than an inconsistent one.
Strength: suggests consistency is vital to MI.
Strength: research shows MI lasts longer than majority influence
bc when minority influence, majority process ideas deeper to understand. Induces longer private change in opinion
strength: supports central argument of how MI works.
Weakness: Research is artificial; lacks mundane realism
real life situations, deciding life or death, are not accurately reflected by choosing a green or blue slide. Weakness: study lacks external validity
