Minority Influence including reference to Consistency, Commitment and Flexibility

Question 1

Describe the participants used in Moscovici’s study

Answer 1

Randomly selected participants and confederates

Question 2

What was the aim of Moscovici’s study?

Answer 2

To investigate the effects of a consistent minority on a majority

Question 3

State the procedure of Moscovici’s study?

Answer 3

1. It was a lab experiment
2. Participants were in a group where there were two confederates
   (the minority) and four participants (the majority).
3. Everyone was shown 36 blue slides, each with a different shade
   of blue.
4. They were each asked to say whether the slide was blue or
   green.
5. Confederates deliberately said they were green on two-thirds of
   the trials, thus producing a consistent minority view.
6. The number of times that the real participants reported that the
   slide was green was observed.
7. A control group was also used consisting of participants only – no
   confederates

Question 4

What were the findings of Moscovici’s study?

Answer 4

when the confederates were consistent in their answers about 8% of participants said the slides were green. However, when the confederates answered inconsistently about 1% of participants said the slides were green. This shows that consistency is crucial for a minority to exert maximum influence on a majority.

Question 5

Describe and explain the effect of consistency on a majority?

Answer 5

This is because it makes the opposition think that the views of the minority are real and serious enough to pay attention to (i.e. the augmentation principle), if they are so determined to stay consistent. If all members share the same views (synchronic), then it can convince the majority that there is something worth agreeing with. Remaining consistent over
time forces the opposition to rethink their own views repeatedly over time and generates more doubt due to the conflicting views, which allows more opportunity to be influenced.

Question 6

What are the 2 different types of consistency?

Answer 6

1. Diachronic consistency

2. Synchronic consistency

Question 7

What is diachronic consistency?

Answer 7

when the group remains consistent over time – they do not change their views over time.

Question 8

What is synchronic consistency?

Answer 8

when the group is consistent between all the members of the group – everyone in the group has the same views, and therefore agree with and support each other.

Question 9

Describe and explain the effect of commitment on a majority?

Answer 9

The majority is more likely to be influenced by the minority when the minority is committed, because when the minority have so much 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.

Question 10

Describe and explain the effect of flexibility on a majority?

Answer 10

The majority is more likely to be influenced by the minority when the minority is flexible.
Being too consistent can suggest that the minority is inflexible, uncompromising and irrational, making their argument less appealing to the majority. However, if they appear flexible, compromising and rational, they are less likely to be seen as extremists and attention seekers. They are more likely to be seen as reasonable, considerate and cooperative.

Question 11

How does the emphasis of consistency, commitment and flexibility have a real-life application have real-life application?

Answer 11

because they can inform minority groups about the best way to behave in order to exert a maximum amount of influence. However, it is worth considering that the majority is not only larger than the minority, but often has greater connections and more power. Therefore, the three techniques described above are not always enough to change the opinion of an
audience.

Question 12

What study supports that the majority are more powerful because they ‘hold risk’ (the augmentation principle)?

Answer 12

Martin et al (2003) 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 less likely to change their own views. This suggests that a minority is more powerful because it holds risk (the augmentation principle) and so forces the
audience to reconsider their own views.

Question 13

What is a key issue with Moscovici’s study? (artificial tasks point)

Answer 13

A key issue with Moscovici’s study in particular is the reliance on artificial tasks and stimuli. 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. This also means that
the findings are likely to lack ecological validity because the extent to which the results can be generalized is limited.

Question 14

What are the 4 evaluation points for minority influence?

Answer 14

1. research support for flexibility
2. the real ‘value’ of minority influence
3. do we really process the minority’s message more?
4. minority influence in name only

Question 15

What is the PEEL paragraph for the minority influence evaluation point; ‘research support for flexibility’

Answer 15

P - Nemeth et al. provided support for the role of flexibility in a stimulated jury situation
E - group members discussed the amount of compensation to be paid to someone involved in a ski accident. When a confederate put forward an alternative point of view and refused to change his position, this had no effect on other group members.
E - a confederate who compromised, and therefore showed some degree of shift towards the majority, did exert an influence on the rest of the group. However, influence was only evident in those who shifted later in negotiations (showing flexibility) rather than those who shifted earlier (perceived as having ‘caved in’ to the majority
L - this suggests that flexibility is only effective at changing majority opinion in certain circumstances

Question 16

What is the PEEL paragraph for the minority influence evaluation point; ‘the real ‘value’ of minority influence ‘

Answer 16

P - Nemeth argues that dissent, in the form of minority opinion, ‘opens’ the mind
E - as a result of exposure to a minority position, people search for information, consider more options, make better decisions, and are more creative.
E - dissenters liberate people to say what they believe and they stimulate divergent and creative thought even when they are wrong
L - this view is supported by the work of Van Dyne, who studied the role of dissent in work groups, finding that groups had improved decision quality when exposed to a minority perspective

Question 17

What is the PEEL paragraph for the minority influence evaluation point; ‘minority influence in name only’

Answer 17

P - despite the evidence for higher quality decision-making, Nemeth claims it is still difficult to convince people of the value of dissent
E - people accept the principle only on the surface, i.e. they appear tolerant, but quickly become irritated by a dissenting view that persists.
E - they may also fear creating a lack of harmony within the group by welcoming dissent, or be made to fear repercussions, including being ridiculed by being associated with a ‘deviant’ point of view.
L - as a consequence, this means that the majority view persists and the opportunities for innovative thinking associated with minority influence are lost.