Social Change

Question 1

What is social change?

Answer 1

When societies, rather than just individuals, adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things

Question 2

What are the conditions necessary for social change through minority influence?

Answer 2

-Draw attention to an issue which opposes the majority position through social proof
-Consistency
-Deeper processing of the issue
-The augmentation principle

Question 3

How does consistency help with social change?

Answer 3

when minorities express their arguments consistently with each other and over time, they are taken more seriously

Question 4

What study showed how consistent minorities were particularly influential?

Answer 4

Wood et al., 1994
Did a meta-analysis of 97 studies and all proved yes

Question 5

How does a deeper processing of an issue help social change?

Answer 5

-We examine the minority position more deeply
-People who accepted the status quo begin to think about the unjustness of it

Question 6

How does the augmentation principle help social change?

Answer 6

If there are risks associated with putting forward the point of view, then the views are taken more seriously

Question 7

Describe the snowball effect by Van Avermaet, 1996

Answer 7

-Minority view catches momentum and becomes a majority view
-Goes from privately acceptance to public expression

Question 8

What is social cryptomnesia?

Answer 8

People have the memory that social change occurred but cannot remember how it happened

Question 9

Why does social cryptomnesia occur?

Answer 9

Public opinion changes gradually over time and is accepted as the norm

Question 10

Why might terrorism be considered a form of social change?

Answer 10

-Gets people’s attention through violence
-Terrifies people into listening
-Listen because it shows importance and passion to change

Question 11

How did Kruglanski depict terrorism as form of social change in 2003?

Answer 11

The aim of terrorism is to bring about social change when direct social force is not possible
Usually carried out by minority groups

Question 12

What are the 3 main characteristics that are needed for successful social change?

Answer 12

Devoted
Motivated
Committed

Question 13

What did Latane state about social force (social impact theory) in 1981?

Answer 13

“Social force is generated by persuasion, threat, humour and embarrassment”

Question 14

In what circumstances does social influence occur?

Answer 14

Strength - powerful, knowledgeable, and consistent
Immediacy - physical, social or psychological closeness of person providing influence
Numbers - how many people are in the group

Question 15

Give a brief overview of the “most of us” campaign of 2000-2003

Answer 15

21-34 year olds
Only 20.4% had driven one hour after consuming 2 or more drinks
However 92% of respondents believed the majority of their peers engaged in drink driving
In campaign aimed to readdress this misconception by explaining that “4 out of 5 don’t drink drive”

Question 16

What were the results of the “most of us” campaign?

Answer 16

Positive changes
13.7% reduction in drink driving
16.5% increase in support for lowering drink driving allowance

Question 17

Give a brief overview of the Sparkman and Walton experiment on dynamic and static norms (2017)

Answer 17

4 experimental studies on meat consumption
“well-rooted, highly visible and something you do every day in the presence of others”
One experiment - participants from across US read 2 statements about eating less meat
One statement (static) described how some Americans are currently trying to eat less meat, while the other statement (dynamic) described how some Americans are changing and now eat less meat
Participants in dynamic group reported more interest in eating less meat

Question 18

How does the idea of gradual commitment help with social change?

Answer 18

If you tend to show compliance and obey a task, it tends to become difficult to resist bigger ones

Question 19

What is a negative evaluation on social change by minority groups?

Answer 19

Does not necessarily lead to social change
May just be seen as deviant by the majority
BUT
Influence may be latent (create potential in the future)

Question 20

Describe Nolan et al.’s research support for normative influences (2008)

Answer 20

Investigated whether social influences processes led to a reduction in energy consumption in a community
Found a significant decrease in energy usage in the first group (where signs were hung on doors)
Knowing people were saving energy (NSI) lead to social change

Question 21

What is a negative evaluation of minority influence?

Answer 21

-Only indirectly effective
-Not all social norms have led to social change (change is slow, if at all)
-Smoking and drinking campaigns have not always been successful in bringing about change

Question 22

What is Nemeth’s negative evaluation on minority influence (1986)?

Answer 22

Influence is indirect and delayed
Indirect - majority are influenced on matters only related to the issue at hand, and not the central issue itself (not the bigger picture)
Delays - takes time for change to happen

Question 23

What was the McVey and Stapleton experiment (2000)?

Answer 23

2997 smokers and 2471 ex-smokers were shown either anti-smoking advertisement, were controls, or were showed an anti-smoking campaign and anti-smoking advertising
9.8% of smokers had stopped and 4.3% of ex-smokers had relapsed

Question 24

What are arguments against the role of deeper processing in minority influence?

Answer 24

-Different cognitive processes for minority and majority influence (Moscovici)
-Mackie (1987) disagreed and presented evidence that it is majority influence that creates deeper processing, if we do not share their views
-We like to believe other people share our view and think in the same way as us
-If the majority think differently, we are forced to think about their argument and reasoning

Question 25

Name some barriers to social change

Answer 25

Bashir et al. (2013) - resistance to social change
Stereotypical and minority environmentalists, such as ‘tree huggers’ (environmentalists) and ‘man haters’ (feminists)