Minority Influence

Question 1

Describe Moscovici’s study

Answer 1

• Participants were in a group where there were two confederates
  (the minority) and four participants (the majority).
• Everyone was shown 36 blue slides, each with a different shade
  of blue
• Confederates deliberately said they were green on two-thirds of
  the trials, thus producing a inconsistent minority view
• There was also a consistent variation

Question 2

What were Moscovicis findings

Answer 2

Consistent: 8%

Inconsistent: 1%

Control: 0%

Consistency is cruicial

Question 3

What are the 2 types of consistency

Answer 3

Diachronic: a group remains consistent with their views as time progresses

Synchronic: all the members of a group have a consistent opinion

Question 4

What is the other two methods of minority influence?

Answer 4

Commitment
Flexibility

Question 5

Evaluate minority influence

Answer 5

+ Martin et al: demonstrated that there is a greater degree of internalisation of a
minority view, compared to a majority view. In his study, one group heard the opinion of a
minority group whilst the second group heard the opinion of a majority group. After both
groups were exposed to an opposing opinion, the group who’d heard the minority view
were significantly more likely to change their own views.
T: Credible theory

+ Real life application: can inform minority groups about the best way to behave in order to exert a
maximum amount of influence
CC: has greater connections and more power. Therefore, the
three techniques described above are not always enough to change the opinion of an
audience.

• Artificial tasks: methodology lacks mundane realism because the tasks do not
  reflect the scenarios within which minority groups would act in real life
  T: low external validity