Social change - AO1

Question 1

What is social change?

Answer 1

Occurs when whole societies, rather than just individuals adopt new attitudes and beliefs

Question 2

What is conversion theory and who proposed it?

Answer 2

Mosocovici proposed conversion theory as an explanation for how social change can occur:
* Minorities have the most influence when they are consistent, committed and flexible
* Those factors all draw attention to the minority viewpoint, leading to deeper processing

Question 3

What does committment lead to?

Answer 3

Augementation principle
When a view is reinforced by other factors e.g if a minority makes a personal sacrifice, this indictates the strength of beliefs, thus adding to (augementing) the influence of the position
Committment works under the augementation principle

Question 4

What is social cryotomnesia?

Answer 4

After being successfully persuaded by a minority, people tend to forget the origin of their new views

Question 5

How does social change work under conformity?

Examples too

Answer 5

It can occur when individuals conform to a percieved majority
This is a common technique in environmental or health campaigns
Campaigns provide information about what others in society are doing and people conform to the percieved majority because they believe it is the accepted norm

E.g “bin it, other do” on a recycling bin in an anti-littering campaign

Question 6

Examples of social change in conformity?

Answer 6

• Asch dissenter variation - break in synchronic consistency - reduced conformity rates
• Shows importance of being confident

Question 7

Examples of social change in obedience

Answer 7

• Milgram dissenter variation - break in sychronic consistency
• Zimbardo (2007): Once a small order is obeyed it becomes harder to resist further orders - known as gradual committment
  This is why any people obeyed his study

Question 8

What is gradual comittment?

Answer 8

It is when one small order is obeyed it beocmes harder to resist further orders