Social Change

Question 1

What are the processes of minority influence?

Answer 1

• Drawing attention
• Consistency
• Deeper processing
• Augmentation principle
• Snowball effect
• Social cryptomnesia

Question 2

Describe drawing attention as a process of minority influence

Answer 2

• Minority draws attention of the majority to an issue
• e.g. bus boycotts in the civil rights movement to combat racism.

Question 3

Describe consistency as a process of minority influence

Answer 3

Minority influence is most effective when the minority keeps the same beliefs over time (diachronic) and between all individuals (synchronic)

Question 4

Describe deeper processing as a process of minority influence

Answer 4

Conflict between the majority’s belief and the minority’s leads to deeper thinking about the issue. People who had previously accepted the status quo start to question and think more deeply about the issue

Question 5

Describe the augmentation principle as a process of minority influence

Answer 5

If a person performs an action where there are known risks, this indicates a strong belief and reinforces their message

Question 6

Describe the snowball effect as a process of minority influence

Answer 6

Initially only a small number of people support an idea, then gradually more become supportive and back the minority

Question 7

Describe social cryptomnesia as a process of minority influence

Answer 7

When social change occurs, the new attitude becomes an integral part of the society culture, and the actions of minority influence that led to it is forgotten

Question 8

Describe social change through majority influence (social norms interventions)

Answer 8

• Social norm interventions start by identifying a widespread misperception relating to a risky behaviour within a target population
• e.g. young adults misperceive the frequency and quantity consumed by peers, and they develop norms that justify their heavy drinking
• The aim is to communicate to the target population the actual norms, researchers hope that recipients will moderate their behaviour to be in line with their peers

Question 9

Give evaluation for social change (research support for processes)

Answer 9

• Nolan et al aimed to see if they could change people’s energy-use habits. They hung messages in front of houses in San Diego every week for a month. The key message was that most residents were trying to reduce their energy usage. As a control, some residents had a different message that just asked them to save energy but made no reference to other people’s behaviour. There were significant decreases in energy usage in the first group compared to the 2nd.
• Shows that majority influence can lead to social change by using normative social influence.

Question 10

Give evaluation for social change (minority influence brings change)

Answer 10

• Nemeth claims social change is due to the type thinking that minorities inspire. When people consider minority arguments, they engage in divergent thinking, where the thinker actively searches for information and weighs up more options. Nemeth argues this leads to better decisions and more creative solutions to social issues.
• Shows why dissenting minorities are valuable, they stimulate new ideas and open minds in a way that majorities cannot

Question 11

Give evaluation for social change (deeper processing)

Answer 11

• Deeper processing may not play a role in how minorities bring about social change
• Mackie claims that majority influence may create deeper processing if you don’t share their views. This is because we like to believe that others share our views. But when we find that a majority thinks differently, we’re forced to think long and hard about their arguments and reasoning
• This means that a central element of minority influence has been challenged, casting doubt on its validity as an explanation of social change