The Role of Social influence processes on social change Flashcards
Define social change?
The process whereby society changes beliefs, attitudes and behaviour to create new social norms (expected ways of behaving and thinking)
What does social change include?
The way in which society develops through big shifts in people’s beliefs, attitudes and behaviour. This process occurs continually with minority influence being the biggest driving force for social change (minority viewpoints slowly win majority over to develop new social norms)
In what way can social change be a) positive and b) negative?
Positive = increased rights for women and negative = adoption of eugenic beliefs which saw some people as genetically inferior during 1930’s Germany
How does social change happen(minority influence)?
Involves changing attitudes and behaviour over time, incurring a strong, long lasting form of conformity involving fundamental changes in belief systems. Occurs by individuals directing their thinking at understanding why the minority hold a particular viewpoint, conversion to the minority then takes place when others start to look at it in the same way (new behaviours and ideas become adopted as ‘mainstream’)
What moment comes during the social change process?
A critical moment where the minority viewpoint becomes that of the mainstream and the majority will begin to conform to this new viewpoint through compliance. This = starting point and will eventually be replaced with a more permanent social change due to identification with these beliefs
What’s an example of how social influence processes brought about social change?
The environmental group ‘Greenpeace’ - Started in Canada in the 1970’s and were regarded as a bunch of cranks by wider society. Over time and through minority influence people’s attitudes and ideas have changed people’s beliefs and so attracted more support and members for the group . Now seen as a legitimate voice for environmental issues.
What are the effects of social change being slow?
The snowball effect takes place (cryptoamnesia) , it allows change to happen in a manner that is not too disruptive to social order. Slowness of the process also allows for new ideas to be road tested to check their suitability for society.
What was Martin, Hewson and Martins study about (2007) and what was the aim?
About resistance to persuasive messages as a function of majority and minority influence
Aim = to see if opinions given by minority or majority group influence are more resistant to conflicting opinions
What was the procedure of Martin , Hewson and Martin’s experiment?
48 British uni students participants who had initial attitude of being supportive of voluntary euthanasia received two messages 1) gave six arguments against voluntary euthanasia and was supported by either minority or majority influence. 2) conflicted with the first message by giving six arguments for voluntary euthanasia - attitudes were measured after the presentation of both messages
What were the findings of Martin , Hewson and \martin’s experiment?
Attitudes following minority support for against message were more resistant to change following the for (counter-attitudinal message), than if the against- attitudinal message had been given majority support
What were the conclusions of the Martin, Hewson and Martin experiment?
Minority influence creates systematic processing (consideration of its viewpoints, leading to attitudes that resistant to counter persuasion. The findings support Moscovici’s beliefs that the opinions of minorities are subjected to a higher level of processing than those of majorities
What does the Martin. Hewson and Martin link with?
Moscovici (1969) - influence of a consistent minority of the responses of a majority in a colour perception test
What are the strengths of the Martin, Hewson and Martin experiment?
Results supported the idea that minority influence can lead to social change, as systematic processing will cause changed in belief systems leading to fundamental changed in people’s viewpoint
Results are consistent with the view that both majorities and minorities can lead to different processes and consequences under different situations
What are the weaknesses of Martin, Hewson and Martin experiment?
Lab study
What is one piece of research that supports this experiment?
Martin and Hewstone found that minority influence can lead to social change, as systematic processing will cause changes in belief systems leading to fundamental changes in people’s viewpoints
