the role of social influence processes in social change Flashcards
what are the 6 AO1 points you should know for the role of social influence processes in social change?
-Definition of Social Change
-Minority Influence and Social Change
-Moscovici’s Study as a Foundation
-Conformity and Normative Social Influence (NSI)
-Obedience and Social Change
-Social Cryptoamnesia
What is social change in psychology?
Social change refers to long-term shifts in attitudes, behaviour, or laws across society, often brought about by social influence processes like minority influence, conformity, and obedience.
How does minority influence lead to social change?
A consistent, committed, and flexible minority can trigger a snowball effect, where their views are gradually adopted by the majority and become mainstream
What did Moscovici’s research show about social change?
Moscovici (1969) found that a consistent minority could influence the majority, laying the foundation for how minority views can drive societal change.
How does conformity through normative social influence contribute to change?
People conform to fit in with perceived group norms. Campaigns using NSI (e.g., “Most people recycle”) can encourage widespread behaviour change.
How does obedience help bring about social change?
When people obey legitimate authority figures enforcing new laws or policies, this can lead to societal behaviour shifts, such as wearing seatbelts or following lockdown rules.
What is social cryptoamnesia?
It’s when society adopts a new attitude or behaviour but forgets the origin of the change, particularly the role of the minority group that first promoted it.
