Social Influence - Social influence & change

Question 1

Social influence

Answer 1

People altering their thoughts & behaviours due to others in society

Question 2

Social change

Answer 2

Society adopts a new way of thinking & acting as the norm

Question 3

6 step-process to social change

Answer 3

1) Drawing attention (minority draws attention to their situation/cause)
2) Consistency
3) Deeper processing (the activism causes members of majority to think deeper about the status quo & injustness)
4) Augmentation principle
5) Snowball effect
6) Social cryptomnesia

Question 4

Strength of process to social change

Answer 4

Research evidence (Nolan et al -> messages about energy saving left on people’s doors, some generic & some specific about those around them trying to reduce -> decreased energy usage in community -> NSI creates social change = validity)

Question 5

Limitation of process to social change

Answer 5

Critiquing research (Moscovici disagreed with by Diane Mackie -> majority influence creates deeper processing if views not shared with minority -> if whole majority disagrees then we think harder -> challenges central aspect of minority influence -> reduces validity)