Social Influence & Social Change

Question 1

A01

What is social change

Answer 1

Occurs when whole societies rather than individudal adopt new attitudes, beliefs & behaviour & becomes the norm

Question 1

Outline the steps in how minority influence creates social change

Answer 1

• Drawing attention
• Consistency
• Deeper processing
• The augmentation principle
• Snowball effect
• Social cryptomnesia

Question 2

1. Drawing attention

Answer 2

Minority draws attention to issue through social proof.If minorities view is diff from own this can cause social conflict

Question 3

2 . Consistency

Answer 3

Minorities must express their views consistently-minorties are more influential when fighting for social change if consistent

Question 4

3 . Deeper processing

Answer 4

Minority must inspire ppl seriously to consider their views,so that ppl who accepted the status quo begin to examine minorities arguements deeply

The status quo is the current state of things.

Question 5

4 . The augmentation principle

Answer 5

Minority must appear willing to sufffer for their cause

Question 6

5 . Snowball effect

Answer 6

The minority must spread their message widely to as many people as they can. The minorty at first is small scale but spread when people consider their position

Question 7

6 . Social cryptomensia

Answer 7

Minority view is the norm & majority cannot rememeber a time before the change-internalised minoritys view

Question 8

Lessons from conformity research

Answer 8

In aschs research dissent in one of his variations in which confederate gave correct answer throughout procedure-broke power of majority encouraging others to do the same -such dissent has potential to lead to social change

Question 9

A03

deeper processing doesnt play a role in how minorities bring about social change. (Mackie)

Limitation

Answer 9

deeper processing doesnt play a role in how minorities bring about social change.
Mackie suggests majority influence is what brings deeper processing .This is bcs we like to believe other ppl share our views & think in same way as us.
When find majority believes something diff than we forced to think long & hard about arguements & reasoning
means central element of minority influence has been challenged -lacks validity

Question 10

A03

claims social change is due to type of thinking minorities inspire
(Nemeth)

Strength

Answer 10

Nemeth claims social change is due to type of thinking minorities inspire
* When ppl consider minority arguments they engage in divergent thinking.- type of thinking is broad rather than narrow where thinker actively search for info
* this leads to better decisions & more creative solutions to social issues -shows dissenting minority groups are valuable-stimulate new ideas & open mind in a way majorities cannot

Question 11

A03

Research support from Moscovici-to support idea that consistency leads to successful social change

Outline his study-strength

Answer 11

Moscovici et al studied
-172 p in group of 6 ( 4p & 2 CF)
asked to view set of 36 blue-coloured slides that varied in intensity & then state whether the slides were blue or green
* In condition A:confederates were consistent & called slides green on all trials
* Condition B-Confederates were inconsistent & called slides green 24 times & blue 12 times
When CF consistent withanswers 8% of P said slides green,
but when CF answered inconsistently about 1% of p said slides green
supports idea that social change may occur due to consistency because p changed their answers due to consistent message minority portrayed