OBEDIENCE: minority influence Flashcards
what does nemeth argue ?
dissent
He argues that dissent in the form of minority opinion opens the mind.
As a result of exposure to a minority position people search for information, consider more options and make better decisions and are more creative.
dissenters liberate people to say what they believe and they stimulate divergent and creative thought even when they are wrong
this view is supported by van dyne and saavedra who studied the role of dissent in work groups
finding that groups had improved decision quality when exposed to a minority perspective
What is research support for flexibility - nemeth and brilmayer
They studied the role of flexibility in a simulated jurt situations where group members discussed the amount of compensation to give to someone involved in a ski lift accident
When a confederate put forward an alternative view andrefused to change his positionit had no effect on other group members
a confederate whocompromisedand showed some degree of shift towards the majority did have an influence on the rest of the group
However this was only evident in those who shifted late in negotiations (showing flexibility)
Rather than those who shifted earlier (percieved as caved in to majority)
Why does moscivici lack ecological validity?
being asked to identify colour of a slide isnt something we would be asked to do on a daily basis in the real world
research isnt valid to how minorities attempt to influence majority in real life. e.g jury decision making and political campaigning the outcomes are vastly more important than just naming the colour of a slide.
this means the study lacks external validity and is limited in what they can tell us about how minority influence works in real life situations.
What were the conclusions of moscivici?
Although rate of conformity is not as high as in aschs majority influence study, this study shows that minorities can influence the majority
Consistency on the part of the minority determines how influential they are
What were the findings of moscivici?
in theconsistent conditionparticipants called the slides in 8.4% of the trials
32% of the participants in the consistent condition reported a green slide at least once
participants in the inconsistent conditioncalled the slides green only 1.3% of the trials
results show that a consistent minority is far more influential than an inconsistent one
What was the procedure of moscivicis study?
Female participantsin groups of 6 were asked to estimate the colour of 36 slides
All of the slides were blue but varied in brightness
2 out of 6 participants were confederates and are the minority
*There were 2 conditions: consistent condition -the 2 confederates called the slides green on all 36 slides Inconsistent condition-the confederates called the slidesgreen 24times and blue 12 times
What was the aim of moscivicis study?
To see if majority could influence the majority
To investigate to what extent consistency influences majority
What does moscivicis study demonstrate ?
Moscovici’s study clearly demonstrates the role of consistency in minority influence.
The majority is more likely to be influenced by the minority when the minority is consistent in their views
What is minority influence ?
minority influencing the majority
What are the 2 types of consistency?
- Diachronicconsistency is when the group remains consistent over time – they do not
change their views over time. - Synchronicconsistency is 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.
Why is consistency important to influence majority ?
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 (diachronic synchrony) 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.
What is flexibility and why is it important in order to influence the majority?
Flexibility
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.
Whys commitment important in order to indluence majority ?
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.
What are the 3 characteristics that minority should have in order to influence the majority ?
consistency
commitment
flexibility
what is obedience?
Obedience is a type of social influence which causes a person to act in response to an order given by another person. The person who gives the order usually has power or authority.
