Minority Influence

• What is meant by minority influence?

  Minority influence is when a minority changes the attitudes and behaviours of the majority.
• What are the three steps involved in conversion?

  • Conflict
  • Understanding
  • Persuading
• What is meant by consistency in minority influence?

  Minorities can show consistency by having attitudes that are constant over time and context, and that everyone in the group holds. 
• What is meant by commitment in minority influence?

  Minorities can show commitment by caring strongly enough about their attitudes to risk punishment and disapproval by voicing their attitudes publicly. 
• What is meant by flexibility in minority influence?

  Minorities can show flexibility by listening to and understanding other people’s points of view, and being willing to compromise.
• Identify three factors that can increase minority influence

  • Consistency
  • Commitment
  • Flexibility
• What is meant by social change?

  Social change is when minorities change the attitudes and behaviour of a society, so that social norms are created.
• What is meant by the snowball effect?

  The snowball effect is an effect whereby more and more people convert to the minority at a faster and faster rate.
• What is meant by social cryptoamnesia?

  Social cryptoamnesia describes the effect whereby people forget how the new social norms were adopted and who they came from.
• Which researcher found support for the role of consistency in minority influence?

  Moscovici