social influence 4.1.1 resistance /minority influence

Question 1

What is resistance to social influence?

Answer 1

Refers to the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority and obey authority

Question 2

Define social support?

Answer 2

The presence of people who reist pressures to conform or obey can help others do the same?

Question 3

Explain social support as an explanation for resisting social influence

Answer 3

Someone else resisting social pressure acs as a model –> which allows an individual to act free from conscience and more independently.

The model doesnt have to answer correctly just the influence of going against the majority is sufficient

Question 4

What is locus of control?

Answer 4

Refers to the sense we each have about what controls life events within our lives

Question 5

What is a high internal LOC?

Answer 5

believe they are completely responsible and in control of outcomes
1. confident
2. leaders
3. no need for external approval
4. motivated by achievement

Resists social influence

Question 6

What is a high external LOC?

Answer 6

believe external factors control events
1. no responsibility
2. lack confidence
3. seeks social approval

Not likely to resist

Question 7

Strengths of resistance to social influence

Answer 7

• research support - Allen and Levine Replicates Asch study - conformity reduced with dissenter even when they wearing thick gglassses ( implies they dont know answer) supports social support
• Holland - repeated milgram to see internal / external
  37% of internals did not continue to 350v with 23% of externals not continue - internals greater resistance **increases validity of LOC **
• Avtgis found a correlation of external locus and persuasions ** externals more easily pursuaded supporting LOC**
• gamson et al - PPT given ally in Milgram like research - 88% groups rebelled- **shows social support inreases resistance **

Question 8

Limitations of Resistance to social influence

Answer 8

• Holland - not as clear as the 23% of externals that did not go to450v makes no sense - questions apllicability
• contradictory evidence Alalysed 40yrs of evidence pople becoming more resistant to influence but are more external **challenges the link between external LOC and resistant behaviour **
• Limited explanation - LOC only comes into play in new situations - has little influence in familiar situations - likely to obey in familiar situatios even if internal ** only accounts limited situations**

Question 9

What is minority influence?

Answer 9

a form of social influence in which a minority persuade others to adopt their beliefs attitudes or behaviours → leads to internalisation / conversion

Question 10

How does the minority group attempt to change views and what does that lead to?

Answer 10

Through ISI which leads to internalisation

Question 11

WHat is the snowball effect?

Answer 11

Minority gaining the majority view starts as a slow process. As they begin to larger attracts more gaining legitimacy -> attracts at faster rate

Question 12

What are the three factors that lead to successful minority influence?

Answer 12

consistency / commitment/flexibility

Question 13

Consistency - minority influence

Answer 13

Minority influence is most effective if the minority keeps the same beliefs
- causes for others to rethink their own view

Question 14

What is synchronic and diachronic consistency ?

Answer 14

Synchronic consistency - all people in the minority say the same thing

Diachronic consistency - they’ve been saying the same thing for a long time

Question 15

Commitment - minority influence

Answer 15

minority influence is more powerfuly if the minority demonstrates dedication to their position / endures a personal sacrifice.

Question 16

What is the agumentation principle - commitment

Answer 16

majority pay even more attention and perhaps begin to consider their view.

Question 17

Flexibility - minority influence

Answer 17

Relentless consistency could be counter productive if it is seen by the majority as unreasonable.Therefore minority influence is more effective if the minority shows flexibility by accepting the possibility of compromise / adapting POV to their argument.

Question 18

What did Nameth argue about flexibility - minority influence?

Answer 18

• argued that consistency isn’t the most important factor that affects the minority as it can be interpreted negatively.
• If we repeat our arguments/ behaviours overtime, it can be seen as inflexible and dogmatic.
• Can be off putting for the majority → less likely to change views
• The minority needs to be prepared to be flexible and adapt their views → both consistency and flexibility are important.

Question 19

How does the change occur?

Answer 19

If we hear something we dont agree with it causes us to stop and think
- promotes deeper thinking and initiates the process of conversion to the minority viewpoint

Question 20

What is the snowball effect of minority influence ?

Answer 20

Overtime increasing numbers of people convert from the majority viewpoint to the minority viewpoint . → the more this happens the faster the conversion rate.

Question 21

Moscivici blue green slide research - consistency
PROCEDURE

Answer 21

• Us female students split into groups of 6 ( 4 naive 2 confeds)
• Groups were shown 36 blueish slides and asked to judge the colour blue or green

Question 22

In Moscivici blue green slide research - consistency
What were the three conditions/ variations

Answer 22

1. Confederates consistently said the slides were green
2. Confederates were inconsistent about the colour of the slides
   ⅓ said blue ⅔ said green
3. A control group ( no confeds)

Question 23

Findings of Moscivici blue green slide research

Answer 23

• Consistent group minority said same wrong answer on 8% of the trials
• Inconsistent majority caused no real influence 1% answered wrong on the trials

Question 24

Conclusions of Moscivici blue green slide research

Answer 24

Study demonstrates the role of behavioural style in minority influence, particularly the power of being consistent in your view → consistent group had more of an influence

Minority not as influential as majority

Question 25

The social impact theory strength

Answer 25

This is how important the influencing of an individual or group of people is to the person.

Question 26

Explain the Two categories of strengths that determine a sources( minority) impact

Answer 26

Trans-situational strength - this exists no matter what the situation is

Situation specific - looks closer at the situaiton at hand and he behaviour the target is being asked to perform.

Question 27

Social impact theory immediacy

Answer 27

1. Physical immediacy - how physically close source is to target
2. Temporal immediacy - target more likely to be influenced immediately after the source has asked them to do so
3. Social immediacy - if the source is close friends/ same sex/ religion are more likely to be influenced

Question 28

Social impact theory number

Answer 28

This involves the number of people their is in a group.
Psychosocial law which states that at some point the number of influencers has less effect on the target.

• Influence tends to significantly increase until about ⅚ sources attempting to influence
• Once past this the impact is not as strong.

Question 29

Research support for consistency
Moscovici / Wood

Answer 29

Moscovici - blue green slides
Found a minority consistent opinion had a greater effect on other people than a inconsistent opinion

Wood - meta analysis of 100 similar studies found that minorities seen as consistent were the most influential.

Question 30

Research support for the depth of thought - Martin

Answer 30

Research highlights that if there is a deeper understanding / thought processing involved, then there may be the conversion of opinion

Martin → People are less willing to change their opinions if they have listened to a minority, rather than if they shared their opinions with a majority → suggests the minority message had been more deeply processed and had a more enduring effect.

Question 31

Artificial task - limitation

Answer 31

Moscovici’s task of identifying a colour slide is artificial → distinct from how minorities try to change majority opinion irl. For example, jury decisions are vastly important
Findings lack external validity and are limited in what they tell us about real life situations

Question 32

Limitation - real life study

Answer 32

Real world applications Studies make a clear distinction between majority and minority influence whereas in real life situations are more complicated.

Difference more than just numbers
Majority - have more power and status
Minorities - members know and support eachother

**Minority research rarely reflects these group dynamics → findings may not apply to real life situations
**

Question 33

What is social change?

Answer 33

When a society or section of societies adopt a new belief or way of behaving which then becomes widely accepted as the norm.

Question 34

Examples of social change irl

Answer 34

Suffragettes
Gay rights
LGBTQ+

Question 35

Steps to social change ( 6)

Answer 35

1. Drawing attention to an issue
   2 cognitive conflict
2. Deeper thinking
3. Consistency of position
4. Augmentation principle
5. Snowball effect

Question 36

Drawing attention to an issue

Answer 36

Stating what the issue is through social proof / If views are different to those of the majority it creates a conflict they are motivated to reduce

Question 37

Moscovici idea about conversion

Answer 37

If individual is exposed to a persuasive condition under certain conditions they may match views to the minority - conversion necessary for social change

Question 38

Deeper thinking

Answer 38

As a result of cognitive conflict - those who believed the status quo begin to consider the unjustness of the majority opinion.

Question 39

Consistency of position

Answer 39

More influential about bringing social change more likely to convince the majority

Question 40

Augmentation principle

Answer 40

If minorities are willing to suffer for their views they are taken more seriously by others

Question 41

Snowball effect

Answer 41

as a minority gains more attention it becomes more accepted and the rate of conversion will increase as more propel convert to the majority viewpoint - social change

Question 42

Social cryptomnesia

Answer 42

People have a memory that a change has occurred but don’t remember how it happened

Question 43

What’s the social norms approach - Perkins and Berkowitz

Answer 43

If the people perceive something to be the norm, they tend to alter their behaviour to fit in with the norm.
Behaviour is therefore based on what people think others believe and do than on their real beliefs and actions

Question 44

Misperception

Answer 44

The gap betweeen the perceived and actual norm

Question 45

Social norm interventions

Answer 45

Correcting misperception in the basis for an approach to social change

Question 46

What is the aim of social norm interventions

Answer 46

The aim of the strategies is to communicate to the target population the actual norm concerning the particular behaviour

Question 47

Social change limitations

Answer 47

Social change can take time due to the strong tendency for human beings to conform to the majority.
Makes change latent ( creates potential for change rather then actual social change)

Potential for minorities to influence through social change is limited as labelled ‘deviant’ Members of majority may avoid aligning with minority as don’t want to appear deviant themselves →message would have little impact

Dejong et al - not all social norm interventions have lead to social change
PPT surveys conducted to correct misperception on drinking norms
Despite receiving information they did not show lower perceptions of student drinking levels nor self reported lower consumption.

Schultz et al - boomerang effect ( reverse effect)
Already behaving positively and may stop doing so having seen attention drawn to othrs
Campaign to reduce energy consumption
Successful on heavy users
But increased consumption of those who usd little
Undermines the intention of the message - acts as barrier to the effectiveness / difficult real world utility as unintended effects on those displaying the positive behaviour

Question 48

Social change strengths

Answer 48

Overcoming the deviant minority : Communist Manifesto

In there communist manifesto communist minority emphasises that they were part of the working class and they are just like the majority

Real world application → improve health by encouraging reducing alcohol consumption and smoking / takes burden off NHS → national implicaitons