Social Influence- Social influence and social change Flashcards
Social influence -
The process by which individuals and groups change each other’s attitudes and behaviours.
Includes conformity, obedience and minority influence.
Social change -
This occurs when whole societies, rather than just individuals, adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things. Examples include accepting that the Earth orbits the Sun, women’s suffrage, gay rights and environmental issues.
What is the role of minority influence in social change, and how does the African-American civil rights movement illustrate this?
Minority influence creates social change through steps like drawing attention, consistency, deeper processing, the augmentation principle, and the snowball effect. The civil rights movement drew attention to racial segregation, maintained consistency in its message, and used extreme actions like the freedom rides to demonstrate commitment, leading to the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
What is social cryptomnesia, and how does it relate to social change?
Social cryptomnesia occurs when people remember that change has happened but forget how it occurred. For example, many people recognize the progress in civil rights but may not recall the specific events that led to it.
How does Asch’s research on dissent relate to social change?
Asch’s research shows that dissent can break the power of the majority, encouraging others to resist conformity. This dissent can ultimately lead to social change by challenging established norms.
How do environmental and health campaigns use conformity to promote social change?
These campaigns appeal to normative social influence by highlighting what most people are doing, such as reducing litter or not smoking. This encourages individuals to conform to desirable behaviors.
What does Milgram’s research reveal about the role of disobedient role models in social change?
Milgram’s research demonstrates that disobedient role models can significantly reduce obedience. For example, when a confederate refused to give shocks, genuine participants were much less likely to obey.
What research supports the role of normative influences in social change?
Nolan et al. (2008) found that messages highlighting how most residents were reducing energy usage led to significant decreases in energy consumption, showing how normative social influence can drive social change.
How does Zimbardo’s concept of gradual commitment explain social change?
Zimbardo suggests that small acts of obedience can lead to larger ones, causing people to “drift” into new behaviors. This gradual commitment can be used to encourage social change over time.
Why might minority influence be considered only indirectly effective in creating social change?
Minority influence often has indirect and delayed effects. It may influence related issues rather than the central issue itself, and changes can take decades to manifest, as seen in attitudes toward drink-driving and smoking.
How do methodological issues in studies like Moscovici’s, Asch’s, and Milgram’s affect explanations of social change?
Methodological criticisms, such as artificial tasks and lack of ecological validity, raise doubts about the generalizability of these studies to real-life social change, potentially undermining their explanations.
How does Diane Mackie’s research challenge Moscovici’s theory of minority influence?
Mackie argues that majority influence, not minority influence, can lead to deeper processing when individuals discover that the majority holds different views. This challenges the idea that minority influence uniquely drives deeper cognitive engagement.
What barriers to social change did Bashir et al. (2013) identify?
Bashir et al. found that people resist social change due to negative stereotypes associated with activists, such as environmentalists being labeled “tree huggers.” Avoiding behaviors that reinforce these stereotypes can help minorities influence the majority.
What barriers to social change did Bashir et al. (2013) identify?
Bashir et al.’s research supports the idea that minority influence can be hindered by stereotypes but also suggests that avoiding these stereotypes can enhance its effectiveness, highlighting both the potential and limitations of minority influence.
