Social Influence + Social Change Flashcards
Social Influence
The process of how individuals and groups change each other’s attitudes + behaviours
INCLUDES: conformity, obedience and minority influence
Social Change
This occurs when whole societies (not just individuals) adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things
e.g. women’s suffrage gay rights environmental issues
Lessons from minority influence research - (1)
Drawing attention e.g through marches to situation + provides social proof of the problem
(2) Consistency
All ppl always presenting the same messages (sychronic) and over time (diatronic)
(3) Deeper processing
Activism means many who had accepted the status quo think deeply about the unjustness of it
(4) The augmentation priciple
Individuals risking their lives for their causes => indicates strong beliefs and reinforces/augment their message
(5) The Snowball Effect
More and more people back minority view untill it eventually becomes the majority position
(6) Social Cryptomnesia
People have a memory that change has occurred but don’t remember how it happened/ events that led to change
Lessons from Conformity - Importance of dissent
Asch’s research - dissent of 1 confederate gave correct answers broke power of majority + encouraged others to do the same => has potential to kead to social change
Lessons from conformity research - NSI
Used by environmental + health campaigns exploit conformity by providing info about what others are doing
e.g. reducing litter with the message (Bin it - others do)
=> encourages change by drawing attention to what the majority is doing
Lessons from obedience research - Milgram + Zimbardo
M - importance of disobedient role models - confederate Teacher refuses to give shocks to Learner causing genuine pps’ obedience
Z: suggests obedience can create social change through gradual commitment => small instruction obeyed +> more difficult to resist a bigger one => ppl drift to diff behaviour
(S) Research Support for Normative Influences
Nolan - message of most residents reducing their energy usage v control of asking to just save energy => siginificant decreases in energy usage in 1st group v 2nd
SUGGESTS conformity can lead to social change using NSI - valid explanation
Counter to Research Support for Normative Influences
Foxcroft et al (2015) reviewed social norms interventions to reduce student alcohol use including 70 studies
=> Researchers found only small reduction in drinking quantity no effect on frequency
SUGGESTS that NSI doesn’t always produce long-term social chnage
(S) Minority Influence Explains Change
Nemeth - when considering minority arguments they engage in divergent thinking which is broad, as thinker actively search for info + weigh up more options
This leads better decisions + more creative solutions
SUGGESTS why dissenting minorites are valuable as they stimulate new ideas + open minds in a way majorites can’t
(L) Role for deeper processing - doesnt bring social change
Mackie - majority influence does when you don’t share their views
=> we like to believe others share our views => when majority doesn’t we think about their arguments deeply
SUGGESTS central element of minority influence is challenges - doubt of its validity
