Social influence - Minority influence

Question 1

What is minority influence?

Answer 1

• Minority influence requires individuals to reject majority behaviours/beliefs, and be converted to the views of a minority
• The minority attempts to change views through informational social influence, so this is likely to result in internalisation
• Minorities changing majority opinions starts as a slow process, however as more of the majority convert to the new view the process speeds up in a process called the snowball effect
• This causes the minority view to improve its acceptability

Question 2

What three behaviours are needed to bring about social influence?

Answer 2

• Consistency
• Commitment
• Flexibility
• While flexibility and consistency seem to contradict each other, in order to seem reasonable and open minded as well as having a clear stable opinion, there needs to be a balance between the two factors

Question 3

How does consistency bring about minority influence?

Answer 3

-The minority needs to demonstrate that it is confident in its view, if they repeat the same message over time (Diachronic consistency) the arguments seem more powerful

Question 4

How does commitment bring about minority influence?

Answer 4

-If the minority are willing to suffer for their views but still hold them, this is likely to cause members of the majority to take them seriously, this is known as the augmentation principle

Question 5

How does flexibility bring about minority influence?

Answer 5

• If the minority are seen as dogmatic, they will not be seen as persuasive
• Minorities need to have the ability to appear to consider valid counter arguments, and slightly compromise

Question 6

How does Moscovici’s study show that consistency improves minority influence?

Answer 6

• Moscovici conducted a study to test how consistency effects minority influence
• When P’s were shown blue slides, a participant majority were more likely to report sides were green if a confederate minority was consistent in calling the sides green
• 8.4% of P’s conformed to the minority when they were consistent rather than 1.25% of P’s conformed to the minority if they were inconsistent

Question 7

How did Nemeth’s study show that flexibility improves minority influence?

Answer 7

-When a confederate (Minority) was inflexible in arguing a low level of compensation for a ski accident, 3 P’s were less likely to change their amount than if the confederate was flexible

Question 8

How do minority groups show high levels of commitment in real life?

Answer 8

-Minorities often show commitment to a cause by suffering (E.g: Gay rights, environmental activists or the suffragettes)

Question 9

What is a disadvantage of studies that investigate minority influence?

Answer 9

• Many studies investigating minority influence are conducted on artificial groups making decisions without real consequences
• However, social influence in the real world is often with friends/co-workers with real consequences

Question 10

What is a disadvantage of studies that investigate minority influence?

Answer 10

• Knowledge of how minorities can influence majorities can be used for unethical deliberate manipulation
• This could be to forward negative political and corporate agendas, such as greenwashing and spreading fake political news