*Minority Influence Flashcards
What is Minority Influence?
Where one person or a small group influences the beliefs and behaviour of other people
The influence can be on one person, a small group, or a large group.
What does internalisation refer to in the context of minority influence?
Both public behaviour and private beliefs are changed
This indicates a significant change in an individual’s beliefs due to minority influence.
Which study first examined minority influence?
Moscovici’s ‘blue slide, green slide’ study
This study highlighted key processes in minority influence.
What is synchronic consistency?
Agreement between people in the minority group
This refers to all members of the minority saying the same thing.
What is diachronic consistency?
Consistency over time
This implies that the minority has been expressing the same view for a while.
How does consistency affect minority influence?
It increases interest from other people
Consistent views make others reconsider their own beliefs.
What is the augmentation principle?
Engaging in extreme activities to draw attention to the point
This indicates commitment to the cause, leading to greater attention from majority groups.
What is the role of flexibility in minority influence?
The minority must be willing to adapt and accept reasonable counter-arguments
A balance between consistency and flexibility is necessary.
What happens if someone hears something new during the process of change?
They may think about it, especially if it is consistent and passionate
This deeper processing is crucial for conversion.
What is the snowball effect in minority influence?
Increasing numbers switch from the majority to minority
This indicates that as more people convert, the rate of conversion accelerates.
What did Moscovici et al.’s study demonstrate about consistency?
A consistent minority opinion had a greater effect than an inconsistent one
This suggests that consistency is a major factor in minority influence.
What did Wood et al.’s meta-analysis find regarding minority influence?
Consistent minorities have a greater impact
Nearly 100 similar studies supported this finding.
How does changing to a minority position affect processing of ideas?
Involves deeper processing of ideas
Messages from the minority are more deeply processed and have a more enduring effect.
What was the finding of Martin et al. (2003) regarding opinion change?
People were less willing to change their opinion after listening to the minority
This indicates that minority messages have a deeper impact.
What is a limitation of studies like Moscovici et al.’s?
The task of identifying the colour of the slide is artificial
This limits the external validity of such studies.
What did a variation of the blue-green slides study reveal about private agreement?
Private agreement with the minority was greater
Participants were more convinced by the minority but reluctant to admit it publicly.
What complexities exist in real-life social influence situations?
There is more involved than just numbers
Majorities often have power and status, while minorities are committed to their causes.
