The role of social influence processes in social change Flashcards
When does social change happen?
When whole societies, rather than just individuals, adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things.
Give examples of social change
Accepting that the earth orbits the sun, women’s suffrage, gay rights and environmental issues.
Mnemonic to remember
Dont
Climb
Down
A
Steep
Slope
What are the 6 processes?
Drawing attention through social proof
Consistency
Deeper processing of the issue
Augmentation principle
Snowball effect
Social Cryptomnesia
Drawing Attention
By using social proof. For example, the suffragettes used education, political and militant tactics to draw attention to the fact that women were denied the same voting rights as men.
Consistency
Of message and intent. For example, the suffragettes were consistent in their view regardless of the attitudes of those around them. Protests and lobbying continued for years and women played an important role in WW2
Deeper Processing
The minority creates a conflict in what the majority currently believes (the existing status quo) and the position advocated by the minority. Makes people think more about a problem that they had previously accepted without thinking about it at all.
Augmentation Principle
If a minority influence appears to suffer for their views, they will be seen as more committed and be taken more seriously. For example, Suffragettes were willing to be imprisoned or willing to risk death through hunger strikes.
Snowball Effects
The minority initially has a small effect but then it spreads. Until it reaches a tipping point and then leads to wide scale social change. E.g. All adult citizens having the right to vote.
Like minded individuals come together to form a minority, they influence others through the 3 behavioural styles and gain more numbers slowly to become the majority
Social Cryptomnesia
People have a memory that change has occurred but don’t remember how it happened.
Lessons from Conformity Research
Asch had a variation where one confederate gave correct answers throughout the procedure (dissenter)
This broke the power of the majority and encouraged others to dissent
This dissent can lead to social change
Health campaigns appeal to normative social influence be providing information about what other people are doing
Social change is encouraged by drawing attention to what the majority are doing
Lessons from Obedience Research
Milgram’s research clearly demonstrates the importance of obedient role models
In the variation when the confederate teacher refuses to give shocks to the learner the rate of obedience dropped dramatically.
Zimbardo suggests that obedience can createb social change through gradual commitment.
Once a small instruction is obeyed then is becomes more difficult to resist a bigger one
People ‘drift’ into new behaviour
