Minority influence Flashcards
what is minority influence
a form of social influence where members of the majority group change their beliefs as a result of exosure to a persuasive minority
what is majority influence
people identify with majority to try to fit in with their opinions without careful scrutiny of the message
what is consistency
when people are first exposed to a minority, they assume minority is in error. If minority adapt a consistant approach they increase amount of interest
what is sychronic
everyone in minority is spreading the same message
what is diachronic
message has been around for some time
what is commitment
important as it suggests certainty, confidence and courage in face of hostile majority
- may persuade majority to take it literally
what is flexibility
- more effective at changing opinion than rigidity of argument
> rigid minority that refuses to compromise risks being seen as dogmatic
> too flexible risks being seen as inconfident
what is Moscovici et als procedure
- lab experiment
- 192 pp’s judged colour of 36 slides > all were blue but brightness varied
- 2/6 pps were confederates
> called all slides green in one condition
> 24 green and 12 blue in another condition
> control group with no confederates
findings of Moscovici et al
pp;s in consistant ocndition yielded and called slides green in 84% of trials (consistency)
pp’s in inconsitent yielded and called slides green in 1.3% of trials
conclusions of Moscovici
consistency increases the liklihood that people will give into a minority
AO3 of Moscovici
lab experiment - artifical seting so lacks ecological validity
Nemeth procedure
- mock jury > groups of 3 pps and 1 confederate had to decide on amount og compensation a victim of a ski lift accident should get
- dogmatic and non dogmatic condtiion
Nemeth findings
when consistent minority argued for a low amount and refused to change positionm there was no effect on majority
- when confederate compromised and moved some way towards the majority who also compromised and changed view
Nemeth conclusion
shows when minority are flexible they have more of an effect on majority
Xi et al
discovered a ‘tipping point’ where the no. of people holding a minority position is suffieicent to change majority opinion
- the % of comitted opinion holders is necessary to tip the majority into accepting the minority position was just 10%
who did researcj into consistency
Moscovici
who did research into flexibility
nemeth
