Minority Social Influence

• Minority influnce occurs when a small group of people or even individual changes the attitudes/ zeitgeist of the majority
• Minority influence likely leads to internalisation as it is not easily achieved and is generally more meaningful
• Minority influence takes effect quicker/ easier when the minority influence comes from a group of/ person in your in group (young teenage girls)
• Process at work in minority influence: commitment, consistency and flexibility
• Social Cryptomnesia: people do not remember that they once held the old majority position
• Social influnce process (social change):

  The minority influence begins the change

  Conformity maintains the minority influence

  Obedience enforces the new beliefs- now majority
• The minority has to show full commitment to their message/ ethos and not be put off by critics:

  • work harder to be taken seriously
  • takes effort demonstrating their commitment to the cause: something worth fighting for
• Tipping point: the point at which it is more likely the minority influence is to become the majority (10%)
• Commitment can be demonstrated through direct or non- direct action (active or doing something like petition)
• The majority may believe that staying committed during ridicule/ hostility shows the minority have a possible point as they are willing to face hardship to change peoples minds
• The augmentation principle: going to extreme lengths to show commitment to. minority cause
• The snowball effect: the idea that as more and more people change their views, the pace/ rate at which this happens gets faster
• The minority has to be consistent in their views in the way of the promotion of the same message without fluctuation or change overtime
• Staying consistent shows the majority that the minority are firm or resolute in the face of criticism
• Consistency may be one or both of the following:

  • Synchronic consistency: the minority presents. a united front and shares the same message
  • Diachronic consistency: the minority have been promoting their message for some time
• Consistency may produce a war of attrition: majority may begin to look seriously at the minority's stance, possibly admiring them for not veering from what they believe in

  Gradually a consistent stance can decrease doubts of most people
• Research by Moscovini (1969) demonstrates consistency in a minority group:

  Participants put into groups of six and shown 36 slides of varying shades of blue

  Asked to state out loud the colour of each slide

  2 confederates stayed consistent and said green

  In consistent condition: 8.2% agreed with confederates

  In inconsistent condition: 1.25% agreed confederates
• Flexibility is the idea that the minority should be able to adapt their message as what they have to say may not be welcomed by many sectors of society:

  should be open to accepting reasonable and valid counter- arguments
• Flexibility is important as people do not respond well to being chastised/ patronised by others. People may continue to remain unsympathetic if minority is berates them
• A study by Nemeth (1986) investigated flexibilities impact on minority influence:

  Participants (one was a confederate) were put int groups of 4

  Presented with scenario of a ski-lift accident- had to decide how much compensation for victims

  Inflexible condition: confederate argued lower rate and would not change position - no effect on majority

  Flexible condition: confederate argued for lower rate but comprised by rising slightly higher - more likely for majority to change view
• Strengths of Minority Influence:

  real- world examples demonstrate direct application and relevance: good external validity and ability to be generalised

  good supporting evidence found in studies
• Limitations of Minority Influence:

  minority influence may also be in part due to personality of the people/ person rather than the cause - charismatic leaders, freedom fighters appearing almost mythical - based on dispositional factors

  research done generally is low in mundane realism- not involved in real situations

  tasks have no personal salience (noticeable meaning) and low- stakes

  many years for minority influence to be subsumed into society