minority influence Flashcards
what is minority influence?
- a form of social influence whereby a minority of people persuade a majority to adopt their beliefs and behaviours.
- this can lead to internalisation.
who conducted research into minority influence?
Moscovici
outline Moscovici’s aim of his study
to observe how minorities can influence a majority
outline Moscovici’s procedure
- lab experiment
- ppt’s were in a group where there were 2 confederates (the minority) and 4 ppt’s (the majority).
- everyone was shown 36 blue slides, each with a different shade of blue.
- each asked to say whether the slide was blue or green.
- confederates deliberately said they were green on 2/3 of the trials, thus producing a consistent minority view.
- number of times that the real ppt’s reported that the slide was green was observed.
- a control group was also used consisting of participants only
outline Moscovici’s findings
- when confederates were consistent, 8% of ppt’s said the slides were green
- when confederates were inconsistent, 1% of ppt’s said the slides were green
- shows that consistency is crucial for a minority to influence a majority
what are the 2 types of consistency?
- diachronic consistency
- synchronic consistency
what is diachronic consistency?
when the group remains consistent over time – they do not
change their views over time.
what is synchronic consistency?
when the group is consistent between all the members of the
group – everyone in the group has the same views, and therefore agrees with and support each other
what are the 3 factors affecting minority influence?
- commitment
- flexibility
- consistency
how does commitment affect minority influence?
when a minority shows commitment, it demonstrates passion and confidence in their point of view,
it suggests to the majority that their view must somehow be valid, and it encourages them to explore why; offering more opportunity to be influenced.
what is an example of commitment in minority influence?
Suffragette movement
how does flexibility affect minority influence?
majority is more likely to be influenced when minority is flexible, they are more likely to be seen as reasonable, considerate and cooperative
how does consistency affect minority influence?
- makes the opposition think that the views of the minority are real and enough to pay attention to (augmentation principle)
- if all members share the same views, then it can convince the majority that there is something worth agreeing with
evaluation: research support (Wood)
ID: there is research to support consistency in minority influence
Q: Wood carried out a meta-analysis of 97 studies on minority influence
EX: for example, he found that minorities who were perceived as being especially consistent in expressing their position, were particularly influential.
AN: therefore, Wood’s meta-analysis demonstrates how consistency is an affecting factor in minority influence, increasing the external validity of the explanation and supporting Moscovici’s findings
evaluation: high internal validity + ELAB: low ecological validity
ID: a strength of Moscovici’s study is that it had high internal validity
Q: the artificial setting and task meant that the researchers could be certain that the ppt’s knew the correct answer was blue. meaning they knew if minority influence actually took place
EX: for example, if ppt’s were asked about a more realistic task, like smoking, there may be multiple factors which contribute towards a ppt’s change in opinion
AN: therefore, by designing a task with minimal consequences and a clear correct answer, Moscovici could be certain of the influence of consistency on minority influence, increasing internal validity
ELAB: However, due to the artificial tasks used, Moscovici’s research can be criticised for lacking ecological validity
EX: this means that such methodology lacks mundane realism because the tasks do not reflect the scenarios within which minority groups would act in real life
AN: this means that the findings cannot be generalised fully
