The role of social influence processes in social change Flashcards
Define social change
when whole societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs and behaviors which become the new norm
-occurs over a long period of time
-happens because of minority influence, conformity and obedience
What is the 6 step process of social change in minority influence?
1- minority draw attention to the issue using social proof
2- minority must be consistent, flexible and committed
3- minority must show argumentation principle (give up personal sacrifice)
4- Internalisation occur (others move to minority view when fully believe it
5- snowball effect (viewpoint goes from minority to majority. When social change occurs)
6- social cryptoamnesia
What is social cryptoamnesia?
When a social change has occurred but people don’t remember how it happened or why they had the original opinion
When can conformity and obedience in social change happen?
Only after minority influence because in order for the viewpoint to be influenced by conformity or obedience it has to become a majority view
How does conformity (majority) help process social change
Through NSI and ISI
Describe NSI in the process of social change
NSI helps the snowball effect- as a new norm is developed it becomes something that’s desirable and leads people to convert over to the new viewpoint as they want to be liked/approved of
Describe ISI in the process of social change
A part of minority influence is to draw attention to social/moral injustice.
People have more info so they start to change their viewpoint as they believe it to be correct
How does obedience help process social change
Obedience can be used in social change through gradual commitment (people obey 1 small instruction then it is harder to resist a bigger one) so they drift into a new behaviour
-It comes into play once a degree of social change has occurred and new rules are introduced as a result
Give supportive research proving NSI (conformity) is important in social change
Schulz changed energy consumption of hotel guests
-One group told ‘reuse your towels, everyone else is!’
-Another group told ‘reuse your towels’
-Group one reused more towels which shows the importance of NSI in social change
Give supportive research proving the influence of the minority is important in social change
Moscivici- Asked groups (4ppt, 2 cones) to state colour of slides that all diff shades of blue
-A confederates said all slides green
-B confederates said 24 slides green and 12 blue
-A ppt said green for 8.5% of slides
-B ppt said green for 1.25% of slides
-shows minorities can influence majorities
Give a counter to Moscivicis study
The tasks used were artificial and real-life situations eg- gay marriage would be much more complicated so study lacks mundane realism
