social influence processes

• Research into social influence has looked into how it is possible for societies to change due to social influence and the power which persuasive groups have
• Moscovici discussed that if someone is exposed to a persuasive argument of a majority view under certain conditions it may lead them to change their views

  The stages of conversion are

  1.drawing attention to an issue,

  2.cognitive conflict.

  .3.consistency of position ,

  4.the augmentation effect.

  5.the snowball effect. 
• 1.drawing attention to an issue

  • ,If their views are different to the majority they need to raise awareness and educate people about the issue they want to change.
  • suffragetes used educational, political and militant tactics to draw attention to the fact women were denied same voting rights as men
• 2.cognitive conflict.

  This creates a conflict between majority beliefs and those advocated by the minority and allows majority members to think more deeply about issues being challenged

  • eg suffragetes create a conflict from the majority between the existing status quo(only men voting) and their advocated position (women voting) some moved towards their position others dissmissed it
• .3.consistency of position

  ,More influence when ideas expressed consistently

  eg.suffragets kept up their protests for many years and kept their position regardeless on other's views
• 4.the augmentation effect.

  If a minority is willing to suffer for their views that are seen as committed and taken seriously

  eg. they were willing to suffer inprisonment or even death from hunger strikes their influence became more powerful
• 5. the snowball effect

  At first has a relatively small effect but this grows as more people consider their ideas until it reaches a tipping point of wide scale social change. 

  eg. eventually reaching universal suffrage
• social change through majority influence.

  • Behaviour is based often based of social norms
  • Social norms interventions are an Attempt to correct misconceptions about normative behaviour of peers in an attempt to change the risky behaviour of a target population
• how do social norms interventions work?

  • These start by identifying a widespread misconception; such as the quantity of drink consumed by peers
  • they then use Perception correction strategies such as media campaigns to communicate the actual norm- get people to moderate their behaviour
• example of a social norms intervention campaign

  .One main example of this is the campaign to reduce drinking and driving in young adults

  • as 92% believed their peers had which was far from the 20.4%
  • they advertised the simple message that most montana adults ⅘ don't drink and drive
  • found the percentage reduced to 13.7%
  • showing the correction of this norm led to changes in people's personal attitudes and helped to reduce this risky  behaviour.