Social Influence: Social Change & Minority Influence

Question 1

What is Social Change??

Answer 1

Occurs when whole societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs & behaviours which become ‘the norm’

Question 2

What are the 6 steps to Social Change??

Answer 2

1. Drawing Attention
2. Consistency
3. Deeper Processing
4. The Augmentation Principle
5. The Snowball Effect
6. Social Cryptomnesia

Question 3

What are the Augmentation Principle and the Snowball Effect??

Answer 3

Augmentation Principle - Minority must appear willing to suffer for their cause. Often risks media attention and abuse but in extreme cases they will also risk imprisonment or death

Snowball Effect - Minority’s small impact eventually spreads. More and more people consider their position until there’s wide scale change

Question 4

What’s social cryptoamnesia??

Answer 4

Minority view became ‘the norm’ and majority can’t remember how change has taken place, only that it happened.

Question 5

What are the 3 characteristics that a minority need in order to create change??

Answer 5

• Consistency
• Commitment
• Flexibility

Question 6

What are the 2 types of consistency??

Answer 6

• Synchronic (All saying/doing the same thing)
• Diachronic (Saying/doing something over a prolonged period of time)

Question 7

What is commitment when related to minority influence??

Answer 7

Engaging in extreme activities to prove they’re committed to the cause

Question 8

Who made a statement about flexibility relating to minority influence and what was it??

Answer 8

Nemeth (1986): Minorities need to be able to demonstrate a flexible view and appear able to accept an alternative viewpoint

Question 9

What is another point made about flexibility in minority influence (other than Nemeth (1986))

Answer 9

Minorities need to not have too rigid arguments and need to be able to provide counterarguments without aggression

Question 10

What study can be used to evaluate minority influence??

Answer 10

Moscovici et al (1969):
- Group of 6 with 2 confederates
- Slides varying in hues of blue
- Confederates said all slides were green
- 8.42% of the time, ppts also gave a wrong answer
- 32% agreed with minority at least once
- With no confederates: 0.25% answered wrong

Question 11

What explanation can be used to say that minority influence has limited application?

Answer 11

Both Moscovici et al (1969) and Asch’s variations had low mundane realism.
In real life, majorities have less power so usually make less of a difference

Question 12

Explain the evaluation point of Identification (for minority influence)

Answer 12

Minority influence theory doesn’t take into account identification.
If we identify with a person or group, we’re more likely to take their views seriously
Mass et al (1982): Gay minority less likely to influence straight majority than straight allies are