Resistance to Influence - Minority Influence

Question 1

What does Minority Influence mean?
[2]

Answer 1

• a form of social influence where a minority of people persuade others to adopt beliefs, attitudes and behaviours
• leads to internalisation

Question 2

What type of conformity is Minority Influence most likely to lead to?

Answer 2

Minority influence is most likely to lead to internalisation; both public and private beliefs are changed

Question 3

What are the 4 factors affecting Minority Influence?

Answer 3

1) Consistency
2) Commitment
3) Flexibility
4) Process of Change

Question 4

Describe Consistency.
[3]

Answer 4

• Minority must be consistent - this increases interest
• Synchronic consistency and diachronic consistency
• makes people rethink views

Question 5

What is synchronic consistency?

Answer 5

Consistency that’s agreement between people

Question 6

What is diachronic consistency?

Answer 6

Consistency that might be over time

Question 7

What does diachronic and synchronic consistency make people start to rethink?

Answer 7

It makes other people start to rethink their own views

Question 8

Explain Commitment.
[3]

Answer 8

• Must show commitment to views
• They can engage in extreme activities to get attention - need to draw attention
• more risky - more attention

Question 9

What is the main purpose of Consistency?

Answer 9

Draws attention to the minority influence

Question 10

Describe how the factor of Flexibility affects Minority Influence. (6)

Answer 10

1) Nemeth (1986) argued that consistency can be interpreted negatively
2) Repeating the same arguments and behaviours can be seen as rigid, unbending, opinionated and inflexible
3) This is off-putting to majority and unlikely to result in any conversions to minority position
4) Rather members of minority need to be prepared to adapt their POV and accept reasonable and valid counter-arguments
5) You have to strike a balance between consistency and flexibility
6) Minority influence is more effective if the minority shows flexibility by accepting the possibility of compromise

Question 11

Describe how the Process of Change affects Minority Influence. (5)

Answer 11

1) The three factors outlined make people think about a topic
2) If you hear something and already agree with it, it doesn’t make you stop and think, but if you hear something new, then you might think about it - especially if the source of view is consistent and passionate
3) It’s the deeper processing which is important in the process of conversion to a different, minority viewpoint
4) Over time, increasing no. of people switch from majority to minority position - they’ve been ‘converted’
5) The more this happens the faster the rate of conversion - snowball effect

Question 12

What is a strength of minority influence?
[4]

Answer 12

• There’s research support
• Moscovici shows consistent minority had greater effect on changing views
• Wood did a meta-analysis on similiar studies and found that minorities being most consistent - more influential
• suggests a consistent view is minimum requirement for infuencing

Question 13

What is a strength of minority influence?
[3]

Answer 13

1. One limitation is task involved is artificial as Asch’s task
2. Moscovici’s study of identifying correct colour slide]research is far removed from minorituies attempt to change behaviour
3. Findings lack external validity and are limited