Social Influence and Social Change Flashcards
When does social change occur?
When societies as a whole adopt new attitudes, beliefs and behaviours
What is the time length for social change to occur?
Continually but at a gradual pace
Who are the main force for driving force for social change?
Minority influence
What is the process of social change by minority influence?
- Drawing attention
- Consistency of position
- Deeper processing
- The augmentation principle
- The snowball effect
- Social cryptomnesia
What is the first step for social change to occur by minority influence?
Drawing attention
What comes after ‘drawing attention’ in the social change process?
Consistency of position
What is before ‘augmentation principle’ in the social change process?
Deeper processing
What comes after the ‘deeper processing’ in the social change process?
Augmentation principle
What comes after the ‘augmentation principle’ in the social change process?
The snowball effect
What come after the ‘snowball effect’ in the social change process?
Social crytomnesia
What anagram can be used to remember the social change process?
- Drawing attention = A
- Consistency of position = Cat
- Deeper processing = Did
- The augmentation principle = A
- The snowball effect = Smelly
- Social cryptomnesia occurs S**t
What does it mean by ‘drawing attention’ in the social change process?
Highlighting a concern
What does it mean by ‘consistency of postion’ in the social change process?
Display an unswerving message
What does it mean by ‘deep processing’ in the social change process?
Many people who simply accept the status quo start to think further
What does it mean by ‘augmentation principle’ in the social change process?
Minorities take risks to further the cause
What does it mean by ‘snowball effect’ in the social change process?
People switch from a majority position to a minority one
What does it mean by ‘social cryptomnesia’ in the social change process?
People have a memory that change has occurred but some people have no memory of the events leading to that change
What as research into conformity shown about social change?
- Dissenters make social change more likely
- Using majority influence and normative social influence can cause social change
What did Nolan et al (2008) do?
- Hung messages on the front of people houses
- Normative social influence message on getting people to reduce their energy usage
What did Nolan et al (2008) find?
-Decrease in energy usage compared to control group
Does Nolan et al (2008) support the fact that social change can occur by normative social influence?
Yes
What did Nemeth (1986) suggest?
Effects of minority influence is indirect and delayed
Why are the effects of social change indirect?
Majority is influence only in matters related to the central issue and not the issue itself
Why are the effects of social change delayed?
Effects take time to show
Why does Nemeth (1986) limits the effects of social change by minority influence?
Shows effect of minority to be fragile and narrow on social influence
Who criticises the nature of deeper processing?
Mackie (1987)
What did Mackie (1987) argue?
That majority influence creates a deeper processing if their views are not shared.
What did Mackie (1987) do to the Moscovici’s theory?
Cause questioning of its validity
What does the minority influence research overlook?
Identification
What did Bashir et al (2013) suggest?
People are less likely to behave in an environmentally friendly ways due to wanting to avoid being labelled as minority
What should the minority influence avoid if they want social change?
Avoid behaving in ways that reinforce stereotypes which can be seen as off-putting
What is just as important as agreeing with the views of the minority influence in order to change behaviours?
To identify with them
Does the evaluation point of identification being important as agreeing with the minority influence support or limit research done into social change? And why?
Limit - as the social change process does not have identification in their process
Most research done into social change has what type of methodological issue?
Artificial materials
