Minority influence

Question 1

What is minority influence?

Answer 1

One person/ a small group of people influences the beliefs and behaviours of others.

Question 2

What three processes are used by successful minorities?

Answer 2

Consistency
Commitment
Flexibility

Question 3

Describe consistency

Answer 3

Minority must be consistent in their believes.
Synchronic: consistency between all members in the group.
Diachronic: consistency over time.

This draws attention to their cause.

Question 4

Describe commitment.

Answer 4

Minorities must show dedication to their cause.

Augmentation principle: personal sacrifice to enhance attention.

Question 5

Describe flexibility

Answer 5

Show willingness to compromise so they don’t appear rigid and dogmatic.

Question 6

Describe the process of change.

Answer 6

The majority process the new ideas more deeply.

Deeper processing leads to conversion.

This leads to the snowball effect.

Minority view becomes majority.

Question 7

Describe research into minority influence.

Answer 7

Moscovici blue slide- green slide study.

172 women in groups of 6 asked to judge colours of 36 slides in varying intensity.

Two confederates consistently said slides were green.

Agreed to wrong answer 8.5% of times compared to 1.25% in inconsistent control.

Question 8

Evaluation points.

Answer 8

+ Moscovici: support for consistency. Wood et al. : meta analysis of 100 similar studies = same conclusion.

• Female, American ppts.

+ Martin: support for deeper processing. People more likely to change opinion if they heard minority agree than majority.

• Not real world dynamic: majorities have status + power, minorities face hostility.

+ Explanation of real world events.