Social Influence: Minority influence and social change Flashcards

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1
Q

Explain Moscovici’s study on consistent minorities vs inconsistent minorities

A
  • Method: participants judged the colour of 36 slides -> all slides of blue, but brightness of blue varied -> 2/6 ppts in each group were confederates.
  • Condition 1: confederates called all 36 slides green (consistent)
  • Condition 2: called 24 slides green and 12 blue (inconsistent).
    -> the control group continued no confederates.
  • Results: Consistent condition: 8.4% of time ppts call slides green.
    -> 32% of ppts call slides ‘green’ at least once.
  • Inconsistent condition: only 1.25% of the time participants moved to minority.
  • Conclusion: Minority had more influence when consistently called slides ‘green’.
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2
Q

Evaluate Moscovici’s study on consistent minorities

A

(-) lab experiment -> lacked ecological validity -> was an artificial task.
-> (-) ppts may have seen this as a trivial exercise.
- Only women involved -> can’t be generalised to men.
(+) Control group -> ppts were actually were influenced by minority -> causation.
(+) Variation -> ppts write down the colour rather than say it out loud.
-> even more agreed with the minority -> had more support for the minority influence.

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3
Q

Explain Nemeth’s experiment on flexibility (moscovici variation)

A
  • participants answer with all the colours they saw in the slide, e.g. could answer ‘green-blue’ rather than ‘green’
    -> 3 variations where 2 confederates:
  • said all slides were ‘green’.
  • said slides were ‘green’ or green-blue’ at random.
  • said brighter slides were ‘green-blue’ and duller slides were ‘green’.
  • When cons always answered ‘green’ (consistent) or viewed responses randomly (inconsistent) -> no effect.
  • When cons varied, confederates had significant effect.
  • Most influence when they were consistent but flexible.
  • Rigid consistency wasn’t effective -> unrealistic when a wider rage of options were allowed.
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4
Q

What is Moscovici’s conversion theory (majority theory)

A
  • Suggests majority + minority influences are different processes.
  • Majority influence: people compare their behaviour to majority and adapt to fit in -> don’t consider the majority’s views in detail.
    -> Majority influence involves compliance -> ppl don’t always change private feelings -> just behaviour.
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5
Q

What is Moscovici’s conversion theory (minority theory)

A
  • with a consistent minority -> ppl may examine beliefs in detail -> want to understand why majority sees things differently.
    -> can lead to private acceptance of minority view -> convert to minority position.
    -> social pressure to conform means behaviour change -> at 1st.
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6
Q

What is commitment what are the stages of this influence

A
  • linked to Moscovici’s conversion theory and his main factor consistency -> which shows commitment.

1) Minority views can be seen as wrong -> don’t match with what’s considered the norm.
2) through consistency -> shows commitment -> unwilling to compromise (minority not willing to conform).
3) creates conflict -> must consider their views and if you should also -> this is called the validation process.
4) If there is no reason to dismiss the minority (not acting out of self-interest etc) -> start seeing things as the minority does.

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