social influence 4.1.1 resistance /minority influence Flashcards
What is resistance to social influence?
Refers to the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority and obey authority
Define social support?
The presence of people who reist pressures to conform or obey can help others do the same?
Explain social support as an explanation for resisting social influence
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
What is locus of control?
Refers to the sense we each have about what controls life events within our lives
What is a high internal LOC?
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
What is a high external LOC?
believe external factors control events
1. no responsibility
2. lack confidence
3. seeks social approval
Not likely to resist
Strengths of resistance to social influence
- 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 **
Limitations of Resistance to social influence
- 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**
What is minority influence?
a form of social influence in which a minority persuade others to adopt their beliefs attitudes or behaviours → leads to internalisation / conversion
How does the minority group attempt to change views and what does that lead to?
Through ISI which leads to internalisation
WHat is the snowball effect?
Minority gaining the majority view starts as a slow process. As they begin to larger attracts more gaining legitimacy -> attracts at faster rate
What are the three factors that lead to successful minority influence?
consistency / commitment/flexibility
Consistency - minority influence
Minority influence is most effective if the minority keeps the same beliefs
- causes for others to rethink their own view
What is synchronic and diachronic consistency ?
Synchronic consistency - all people in the minority say the same thing
Diachronic consistency - they’ve been saying the same thing for a long time
Commitment - minority influence
minority influence is more powerfuly if the minority demonstrates dedication to their position / endures a personal sacrifice.
What is the agumentation principle - commitment
majority pay even more attention and perhaps begin to consider their view.
Flexibility - minority influence
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.
What did Nameth argue about flexibility - minority influence?
- 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.
How does the change occur?
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
What is the snowball effect of minority influence ?
Overtime increasing numbers of people convert from the majority viewpoint to the minority viewpoint . → the more this happens the faster the conversion rate.
Moscivici blue green slide research - consistency
PROCEDURE
- 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
In Moscivici blue green slide research - consistency
What were the three conditions/ variations
- Confederates consistently said the slides were green
- Confederates were inconsistent about the colour of the slides
⅓ said blue ⅔ said green - A control group ( no confeds)
Findings of Moscivici blue green slide research
- Consistent group minority said same wrong answer on 8% of the trials
- Inconsistent majority caused no real influence 1% answered wrong on the trials
Conclusions of Moscivici blue green slide research
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
The social impact theory strength
This is how important the influencing of an individual or group of people is to the person.
Explain the Two categories of strengths that determine a sources( minority) impact
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.
Social impact theory immediacy
- Physical immediacy - how physically close source is to target
- Temporal immediacy - target more likely to be influenced immediately after the source has asked them to do so
- Social immediacy - if the source is close friends/ same sex/ religion are more likely to be influenced
Social impact theory number
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.
Research support for consistency
Moscovici / Wood
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.
Research support for the depth of thought - Martin
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.
Artificial task - limitation
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
Limitation - real life study
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
**
What is social change?
When a society or section of societies adopt a new belief or way of behaving which then becomes widely accepted as the norm.
Examples of social change irl
Suffragettes
Gay rights
LGBTQ+
Steps to social change ( 6)
- Drawing attention to an issue
2 cognitive conflict - Deeper thinking
- Consistency of position
- Augmentation principle
- Snowball effect
Drawing attention to an issue
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
Moscovici idea about conversion
If individual is exposed to a persuasive condition under certain conditions they may match views to the minority - conversion necessary for social change
Deeper thinking
As a result of cognitive conflict - those who believed the status quo begin to consider the unjustness of the majority opinion.
Consistency of position
More influential about bringing social change more likely to convince the majority
Augmentation principle
If minorities are willing to suffer for their views they are taken more seriously by others
Snowball effect
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
Social cryptomnesia
People have a memory that a change has occurred but don’t remember how it happened
What’s the social norms approach - Perkins and Berkowitz
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
Misperception
The gap betweeen the perceived and actual norm
Social norm interventions
Correcting misperception in the basis for an approach to social change
What is the aim of social norm interventions
The aim of the strategies is to communicate to the target population the actual norm concerning the particular behaviour
Social change limitations
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
Social change strengths
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
