minority influence

• 3 factors that make the minority stronger - consistency - flexibility - commited
• consitancy - moscovici
• moscovici - consistent and inconsistent minority influence - green and blue slides - a consistent minority were the most effective
• flexible - nemeth
• nemeth - repeated moscovicis study - but could answer blue green instead of just one colour - most influence when consistent but flexible
• moscovicis conversion theory - majority and minority influence are very different
• majority influence - people compare behaviour to majority and change it to fit in - uses comppliiance - just change public behaviour
• minority influence - when it is consistent people look at the beleifs to understand why they hold them - people then privatly accept the view - convert to the view
• minorities can change views when they are committed - commitment creates a conflict and the majority have to consider if they are right
• validation process - minority being percieved as right
• social impact theory - latane and wolf
• social impact theory - social influence occurs when there are significant effects of strength, numbers and immediacy
• strength - how powerful the group appears to be
• numbers - how many are in the group
• immediacy - how close the source of influence is
• mullen - con of social impact is the use of self report
• sedikes and jackson - field experiment provided support for social impact theory
• snowball effect - a process in which a small number of people join the group and convince others to until the minority becomes the majority
• social cryptoamnesia - public opinion changes gradually over time until the minority view is accepted as the norm
• examples of minorities causing change - gay rights movement