Social Influence And Social Change

Question 1

What is social influence?

Answer 1

The process by which individuals and groups change each other’s attitudes and behaviours.
Includes conformity, obedience and minority influence.

Question 2

What is social change?

Answer 2

This occurs when whole societies, rather than just individuals, adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things.

Question 3

Name the five social influence processes that can account for social change
1
2
3
4
5

Answer 3

(DCCAS -Deaf Cats Can Always See)

Drawing attention to an issue
Cognitive conflict
Consistency of position
The augmentation principle
The snowball effect

Question 4

Describe ‘drawing attention to an issue’ and give an example in relation to the suffragette movement

Answer 4

Minorities draw the majority’s attention to an issue which may create conflict that the majority are motivated to reduce.

Example: the suffragettes used Campaigns + protests , educational, political, and militant tactics to draw attention to their cause.

Question 5

What is the suffragettes movement?

Answer 5

The Suffragettes were part of the ‘Votes for Women’ campaign that had long fought for the right of women to vote in the UK.

Question 6

Describe ‘cognitive conflict’ and give an example in relation to the suffragette movement

Answer 6

the majority begin to think more deeply about the issue.

Example: the suffragettes created conflict between the existing status (only men allowed to vote) and their position (votes for women)

Question 7

Describe consistency of position and give an example in relation to the suffragette movement

Answer 7

Minorities are more influential when they express their arguments consistently (over time and with each other).
—> stronger and clear message

Example: protests and campaigns continued for years and same view as each other

Question 8

Describe the augmentation principle and give an example in relation to the suffragette movement

Answer 8

If a minority appears willing to SUFFER for their views, they are seen as more COMMITTED and taken more seriously by others.

Example: Suffragettes were willing to risk imprisonment, even death, in fighting for their views.

Question 9

Describe the snowball effect and give an example in relation to the suffragette movement

Answer 9

Minorities initially have a small effect but then their influence spreads until there is a ‘tipping point’ and the minority view becomes the new majority view.

Example: universal suffrage (all adult citizens having the vote) was finally accepted by the majority of people in the UK.

Question 10

Using an example, explain the role of social influence processes in social change (6 marks)

3 required in depth

Answer 10

1 social process used in social change is Drawing attention to the issue.

For example in suffragettes movement, they used campaigns and protests and politician, educational and military tactics to bring about awarensss

—> This is done to capture people attention and cause conflict in their minds

2 cognitive conflict .
Introduces alternative idea that goes against what is they’re used to

Example: the suffragettes created
recognised their is an alternative
conflict between the existing status (only men allowed to vote) and their position (votes for women)
—> the majority begin to think more deeply about the issue

3:consistency of position:
Minority had the same ideas with each other and over time
Suffragettes had been protesting for woman rights over time and same idea as each other
—> clear message

4: Argumentation principle
Willing to suffer/take risks/ personal sacrifice
Suffragettes protests at risk of imprisonment or even death
—> seen as more COMMITTED. /not for personal benefit.

Question 11

Conformity processes in social change

Answer 11

Campaigners use NSI
Provide info on what others are doing
Campaigners use ISI
Educate people on a topic

Question 12

Conformity processes in social change
NSI

Answer 12

Environmental and health campaigns increasingly exploit conformity processes through normative social influence.
They do this by providing information on what other people are doing.
Examples include reducing litter by printing normative messages on litter bins (‘Bin it - others do it’)
and preventing young people from taking up smoking (telling them that most other young people do not smoke).

Question 13

Conformity processes in social change
ISI

Answer 13

As a deviant view become more popular, individuals may become convinced by the arguments advanced by others (internalisation) - especially if they have no clear view on the issue to begin with it the situation is ambiguous.

Question 14

How can obedience be used to create social change through the process of gradual commitment?

Answer 14

Once a small instruction is obeyed, it becomes much more difficult to resist a bigger one. People essentially ‘drift’ into new kinds of behaviour.

E.g Milgram demonstrated how social change can occur through gradual commitment “drift into new kinds of behaviour” - 15V at a time

Question 15

Evaluation of social influence (conformity and obedient and minority influence) on social change.
Strength
limitation
Limitation
Limitation

Answer 15

Strength Nolan et al
Limitation Dejong et al
Limitation minorities only have an indirect effect on social change
Limitation: Boomerange effect Schutz

Question 16

Evaluation of social influence (conformity and obedient and minority influence) on social change.

Strength

Answer 16

Nolan et al
hung messages in the front doors of houses. The key message was that most residents were trying to reduce their energy usage
A control group were simply asked to save energy.

Significant decrease in energy usage was found in the first group showing how NSI can lead to social change.

Question 17

Evaluation of social influence (conformity and obedient and minority influence) on social change.
Limitation

Answer 17

Dejong et al

Conducted a survey across college campuses at the beginning of a campaign to reduce alcohol consumption amongst students.
They repeated after the campaign had finishe.
Despite receiving normative information to reduce drinking, students did not show report lower alcohol consumption as a result of the campaign.

This questions how much effect normative social influence actually has on social change.

Question 18

Evaluation of social influence (conformity and obedient and minority influence) on social change.

Minorities have an indirect affect on social change

Answer 18

Social change tends to happen very slowly, for instance, changes in attitudes towards drink driving and smoking have taken decades to shift and some argue that minorities have an indirect and delayed effect.

They are indirect because the majority is only influenced on that one specific issue, and they are delayed because the effects may not be seen for some time. This limits the effectiveness of minorities in bringing about social change.

Question 19

Evaluation of social influence (conformity and obedient and minority influence) on social change.
Boomerang

Answer 19

For those individuals who are already engaging in constructive behaviour (recycling, drinking sensibly, not taking drugs etc.) the mere fact that they are exposed to normative messages may encourage them to engage in more destructive behaviours (as they may interpret those behaviours as appealing and attractive). This is known as the ‘boomerang effect’.

Schultz et al demonstrated how an ad campaign was effective in getting heavy users of electricity to use less energy, but it also caused those who used less to increase their usage!