The Role Of Social Influence Processes In Social Change

Question 1

What is social change?

Answer 1

• Occurs when whole societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs or behaviours. It often begins with a small group of people through minority influence and involves processes like the snowball effect
• Examples of change: accepting the earth is round not flat, women’s suffragette movement and reduced smoking in public places

Question 2

Explain the stage of ‘Drawing attention to an issue’

Answer 2

• Minorities can bring about social change by drawing attention to an issue
• If their views are different to those held by the majority, this creates a conflict that they are motivated to reduce

Question 3

Explain the stage of ‘Cognitive conflict’

Answer 3

• The minority creates a conflict between what the majority group members believe and the position held by the minority
• This doesn’t necessarily result in a move towards the minority position, but it does mean that majority group members think more deeply about the issues being challenged

Question 4

Explain the stage of ‘Consistency of position’

Answer 4

• Research on minority influence has established that minorities tend to be more influential in bringing about social change when they express their arguments consistently (over time and with each other)

Question 5

Explain the stage of ‘The augmentation principle’

Answer 5

• If a minority appears to be more willing to suffer for their views, they are seen as more committed and taken more seriously by others

Question 6

Explain the stage ‘The snowball effect’

Answer 6

• Minority influence initially has a relatively small effect but this then spreads more widely as more and more people consider the issues being promoted, until it reaches ‘a tipping point’, at which leads to a wide-scale social change

Question 7

Explain the stage ‘Social cryptomnesia’

Answer 7

• People have a memory that change has occurred but do not remember how it has happened

Question 8

What are evaluation points for Role Of Social Influence Processes In Social Change

Answer 8

• Social Change Through Minority Influence Is Very Gradual (-)
• Supported By Asch (+)
• Supported BY Milgram (+)