minority influence

Question 1

how do minorities influence others?

Answer 1

consistency
commitment
flexibility

Question 2

consistency

Answer 2

if a minority continues to state the same thing over a period of time, they are more likely to influence others

Moscovici (1969)
- found that if confederates consistently called a slide green (when it was blue) ppts agreed 8.2% of the time
- 1.25% when they were inconsistent

Question 3

commitment

Answer 3

when a minority shows commitment it demonstrates confidence and courage and at a great cost to them

can persuade others to make their view point

Question 4

flexibility

Answer 4

a rigid minority that refuses to compromise risks being perceived as narrow minded

HOWEVER a minority that is too flexible is perceived as inconsistent

they must adapt their opinions and accept counter-arguments in order to persuade others

Question 5

evaluation of minority influence

Answer 5

meta-analysis
private responses
ecological validity

Question 6

meta-analysis (MINORITY INFLUENCE EVALUATION)

Answer 6

Wood et al (1994)
- examined almost 100 similar studies
- found minorities who were seen as consistent were the most influential
- suggests that consistency is a major factor in minority influence

Question 7

private responses (MINORITY INFLUENCE EVALUATION)

Answer 7

in a variation of Moscovici’s study ppts were allowed to write their answers

private agreement was greater in these circumstances

Question 8

ecological validity (MINORITY INFLUENCE EVALUATION)

Answer 8

choosing colours in these studies has no bearing on real life consequences

people may take more care not to be influenced if it had more affect on their life