Social influence and social change

    Subdecks (1)

    Cards (15)

    • What are the five steps of how minority influence creates social change?
      1. Drawing attention
      2. Consistency
      3. Deeper processing
      4. Augmentation Principal
      5. Snowball effect
      6. Social cryptomnesia
    • Drawing attention
      Doing something unusual or out of the ordinary to make the majority look at the minority e.g. Civil Rights protests drew attention
    • Consistency
      Synchronic - The minority share the same message
      Diachronic - The minority keeps and repeats the message over a long period of time
      For example, millions took part in many marches over several years, always representing the same non-aggressive messages.
    • Deeper processing
      Once the minority's message has been seen, the majority think deeper about their position and feel 'softer' and therefore more likely to be influenced.
    • Augmentation principal
      The minority suffers for the cause e.g. 'freedom riders' were beaten for challenging racial segregation of transport.
    • Snowball effect
      Rate of conversion starts very slows with first view conversions then speeds up exponentially until it reaches the 'tipping point' e.g. LGBT rights in the UK.
    • Social cryptomnesia
      The majority know that a change has occurs but cannot remember how or when e.g. recycling.
    • Lessons from CONFORMITY research
      Importance of dissent in Asch's unanimity variation - broke the power/stance of the majority; social change. Normative social influence.
    • Lessons from OBEDIENCE research
      Importance of disobedient role models. When confederate teacher refuses, obedience in participants plummets.