Social Influence - Minority Influence

Question 1

Minority influence

Answer 1

A form of social influence in which a minority of people (or one person) persuade others to adopt their beliefs, attitudes or behaviours

Question 2

Belief system of someone who joins minority group

Answer 2

Public and private beliefs change

Question 3

3 factors which enhance the effectiveness of minority influence

Answer 3

Consistency
Commitment
Flexibility

Question 4

According to consistency, when is the minority influence the most effective?

Answer 4

Most effective when it keeps the same beliefs both over time and between each individual in the group

Question 5

Two types of consistency

Answer 5

Synchronic consistency
Diachronic consistency

Question 6

Synchronic consistency

Answer 6

Individuals in group are all saying the same thing

Question 7

Diachronic consistency

Answer 7

All individuals have been saying the same thing for a long period of time

Question 8

What does consistency of the minority group slowly start to make people in the majority group do?

Answer 8

Slow starts to make people in majority group think about their own views

Question 9

According to commitment, when is the minority influence the most powerful?

Answer 9

When the minority group demonstrates how dedicated they are to their cause

Question 10

What does commitment show about the minority group?

Answer 10

It shows they are not acting for their own self-interests

Question 11

What may minorities do to draw attention to their views (commitment)?

Answer 11

They may engage in extreme activities, putting their lives at risk

Question 12

According to the Augmentation Principle, what benefit does commitment have on the majority group?

Answer 12

Commitment makes the majority group become in awe of the lengths the minority will go to

Question 13

According to flexibility, when is minority influence more effective?

Answer 13

When the minority shows flexibility by accepting the possibility of a compromise

Question 14

Due to having flexibility, what are the individuals of the minority group prepared to do?

Answer 14

They are prepared to accept counter-arguments

Question 15

Who carried out a study to investigate whether a consistent minority of participants could influence a majority to give an incorrect answer in a colour perception task? What was the study called? When was it carried out?

Answer 15

Moscovici et al (1969) - “blue-green slide”

Question 16

Number of participants of the “blue-green slide” study

Answer 16

172

Question 17

What were the participants of the “blue-green slide” study told?

Answer 17

They were told they were going to be tested to ensure that they were no colour blind

Question 18

How were the participants of the “blue-green slide” study split?

Answer 18

In groups of 6, containing 4 participants and 2 confederates

Question 19

What were the groups of participants asked to do in the “blue-green slide” study?

Answer 19

Asked to state the colour shown on the screen from 36 slides

Question 20

Slides of the “blue-green slide” study

Answer 20

All slides were different shades of blue

Question 21

Control group of the “blue-green slide” study

Answer 21

No confederates

Question 22

Two conditions of the “blue-green slide” study

Answer 22

Condition A: confederates were consistent, calling slides green on all trials
Condition B: confederates not consistent, reporting green 24 times and blue 12 times

Question 23

Percentage of participants of control group who reported any green slides in the “blue-green slide” study

Answer 23

0.25%

Question 24

Findings of consistent group (condition A) of the “blue-green slide” study

Answer 24

Participants answers green in 8.42% of trials
32% of participants answered green at least once

Question 25

Findings of inconsistent group (condition B) of the “blue-green slide” study

Answer 25

Participants answered green in 1.25% of trials

Question 26

Conclusion of the “blue-green slide” study

Answer 26

Minorities can influence the majorities

Question 27

When was the minority group the strongest in the “blue-green slide” study?

Answer 27

When the minorities were consistent in their views

Question 28

Social change

Answer 28

When a society as a whole changes their beliefs, attitudes and actions

Question 29

Examples of social changes

Answer 29

Women being allowed to vote due to suffragette movement
Places not being segregated due to civil rights movement

Question 30

6 conditions for social change to minority influence in order

Answer 30

1. Drawing attention to issue
2. Consistency
3. Deeper processing
4. The Augmentation Principle
5. The snowball effect
6. Social cryptoamnesia

Question 31

What does drawing attention to the issue involve?

Answer 31

Providing social proof to majority group that issue being reported by minority is true

Question 32

What happens to the individuals who are in the majority group during the deeper processing condition of social change?

Answer 32

They begin to question their own beliefs and think about how unjust the issue actually is

Question 33

The Augmentation Principle

Answer 33

Putting yourself at risk to demonstrate how committed you are to your cause

Question 34

The snowball effect

Answer 34

Minority starts to convince majority so they change their views and join the minority group until it eventually becomes the majority group

Question 35

During what condition does social change begin to occur?

Answer 35

5. The snowball effect

Question 36

Social cryptoamnesia

Answer 36

Forgetting that the minority ever existed as the change they campaigned for became the norm

Question 37

What did Asch’s study highlight the importance of for minority influence?

Answer 37

Highlighted the importance of dissenters for minority influence

Question 38

What can we learn about minority influence from Milgram’s study?

Answer 38

Feeling of responsibility for actions made people not obey in this study, demonstrating deeper processing of participants

Question 39

What can we learn about minority influence from Zimbardo’s study finishing early due to extreme treatment of guards to prisoners?

Answer 39

Snowball effect demonstrated

Question 40

Who identified some barriers to social change and minority influence? When?

Answer 40

Nemeth (1986)

Question 41

What are the effects of minority influence likely to be according to Nemeth?

Answer 41

Indirect and delayed

Question 42

Why are the effects of the minority influence likely to be indirect according to Nemeth?

Answer 42

Because the majority is influenced on matters only related to the issue on hand

Question 43

Why are the effects of the minority influence likely to be delayed according to Nemeth?

Answer 43

Because the effects might not be seen for a long time