Social Influence and Social Change Flashcards
What are the 6 steps in how minority influence creates social change?
- Drawing attention 2. Consistency 3. Deeper processing 4. Augmentation principle 5. Snowball effect 6.Social cryptomnesia
What is the real life example of the minority creating social change?
The African-American civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s.
How was attention drawn in the real life example?
Segregation in 1950s- some places exclusive to whites. Civil rights marches drew attention to the problem by providing social proof of the problem.
Consistency in the real life example?
Marches were on a large scale. Even though it was a minority of the American population, they displaced consistency of message and intent.
The deeper processing of the real life example?
The attention meant that many people who had accepted the status quo began thinking about the unjustness of it.
Augmentation process in the real life example?
‘Freedom riders’ were mixed racial groups who got on buses in the South to challenge separate seating for black people. Many were beaten and suffered mob violence.
The snowball effect of the real life example?
Civil rights activists gradually got the attention of the US government. 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed, prohibiting discrimination. A change from minority to majority support for civil rights.
Social cryptomnesia of the real life example?
Refers to people having memory that a change has happened but not remembering how. Social change came about but some people have no memory of the evets leading to the change.
2 lessons from conformity research?
- Dissenters make social change more likely.
2. Majority influence and NSI.
What is the lesson regarding dissenters make social change more likely?
Asch’s research: variation where one confederate always gave correct answers. This broke the power of the majority encouraging others to dissent. This demonstrates potential for social change.
What is the lesson with majority influence an normative social influence?
Environmental and health campaigns exploit conformity by appealing to NSI. They provide information about what other are doing (reducing litter by printing normative messages on bins). Social change is encouraged by drawing attention to the majority’s behaviour.
Evaluation of Social change- Research support for normative influences
Nolan et al investigated whether social influence processes led to a reduction in energy consumption in a community. Hung messages on doors in San Diego every week for a month. The message was that most residents was trying to reuse their energy usage. Some had a different message asking for them to save energy but with no reference to others behaviours. Found significant decrease in energy usage in first group. Strength because it shows conformity can lead to social change through NSI.
Evaluation of social change- Minority influence is only indirectly effective.
Social change is slow. E.g. drink driving and smoking took decades to shift. Do minorities really have much influence? Nemeth argues that change is indirect and delayed and people are only influenced when matters are related to the issue at hand. This is a limitation of using minority influence to explain social change because it shows it’s effects are fragile and limited.
Evaluation of social change- role of deeper processing.
Moscovici argues minority and majority influence involve different cognitive processes- minority influence because individuals to think more deeply about an issue than majority (conformity). Jackie (1987) disagrees and presents evidence it is majority influence that may create deeper processing if views aren’t shared. We like to believe others share our views and when they don’t we are forced to think about arguments and reasoning. Central element of process of minority influence has been challenged and may be incorrect, casting doubt on validity.
