Social influence 6 | The role of social influence processes in social change. Flashcards
AO1 What is social change
Social change occurs when a society or group adopts a new belief or way of behaving that becomes widely accepted as the norm.
AO1 What role does minority influence play in social change
Minority influence is key to social change as a consistent, committed, and flexible minority can influence the majority to adopt new beliefs or behaviors.
AO1 How does consistency contribute to social change
A minority must be consistent in their message over time to create social change as this increases the likelihood that the majority will consider their viewpoint seriously.
AO1 How does commitment contribute to social change
Commitment through personal sacrifice or dedication to a cause strengthens minority influence as it demonstrates the importance of the issue.
AO1 How does flexibility contribute to social change
Minorities must be flexible by negotiating and adapting their views rather than appearing rigid, making them more persuasive to the majority.
AO1 What is the snowball effect in social change
The snowball effect occurs when a small minority gradually gains support, leading to widespread social change as more people adopt the new viewpoint.
AO1 What is the augmentation principle
The augmentation principle states that if a minority takes risks or makes sacrifices for their cause, they are seen as more credible, increasing the likelihood of social change.
AO1 What is social cryptomnesia
Social cryptomnesia occurs when people remember that a change has happened but forget how it occurred or who originally influenced it.
AO1 How does majority influence contribute to social change
Once a minority view gains enough support, it can become the majority norm through processes like conformity and informational social influence.
AO3 What is supporting evidence for the role of minority influence in social change
Moscovici et al. (1969) found that a consistent minority could influence the majority in a colour perception task supporting the role of consistency in social change.
AO3 What real-life example supports social change theories
The American Civil Rights Movement followed social influence principles as a committed and consistent minority led to legal and social reforms.
AO3 What is a limitation of social change explanations related to minority perception
Bashir et al. (2013) found that people resist social change if minorities are seen as too extreme e.g. environmentalists being dismissed as ‘tree-huggers’.
AO3 Why is minority influence often limited in creating social change
Nemeth (1986) argued that minority influence is slow and indirect because the majority resists change and prefers to maintain the status quo.
AO3 Why might social influence explanations of social change be incomplete
Not all minority movements succeed even when they are consistent committed and flexible suggesting that additional factors play a role in social change.
