minority influence

• define minority influence?

  • when an individual/small group influences attitudes/behaviour of larger group
• define social change?

  • when society adopts new belief which becomes widely accepted as norm
• 3 factors affecting minority influence?

  1. consistency
  2. commitment
  3. flexibility
• explain consistency?

  • minority expresses same message over time & same between members of minority group
  • message challenges beliefs of majority
  • do NOT deviate from their views
  • more able to convince majority to agree with them by drawing attention to minority view
• 2 types of consistency?

  1. synchronic
  2. diachronic
• synchronic consistency?

  • consistency between members of minority
  • all members are expressing same message
• diachronic consistency?

  • consistency over time
  • message is expressed in same way over long period of time
• explain commitment?

  • minority dedicated to belief/opinion
  • may defend their views at personal cost to themselves - sacrifices
  • shows others theyre not acting out of self interest so more likely to affect behaviour of majority/convince to agree with them
• augmentation principle?

  if there are risks involved in putting forward a point of view then those who express those views are taken more seriously, strengthening their position
• explain flexibility?

  • minority adapt thier views & accept other valid counterarguments so theyre not overly rigid in their opinions
  • more able to affect behaviour of majority as able to demonstrate ability to compromise
  • if minority group seen as dogmatic/too demanding can be off putting
• 3 * of factors affecting minority influence?

  1. real world application
  2. evidence to support from nemeth
  3. evidence to support from moscovici
• 2 X of factors affecting minority influence?

  1. nemeths evidence is contradictory
  2. mocovicis study is gynocentric
• * real world application?

  • suffragette movement in early 20th century showed how small group argued strongly for initially unpopular view that women should be able to vote
  • showed consistency in message
  • exposed themself to serious consequences showing commitment
  • remained flexible during war effort
  • over time led to social change where women can now vote
  • ecological
  • m.i has had en effect in social change through suffragette movement
• * evidence from nemeth for flexibility?

  • used mock jury agreeing on compensation for victim of ski lift accident
  • found that when flexible minority able to persuade majority to compromise & change their view to higher rate of compensation - more effect than inflexible minority
  • shows how minority can influence majority especially when they are flexible
• X nemeth evidence is contradictory?

  • his research highlights importance of flexibility questions idea of consistency
  • moscovivi shows minorities need to be consistent whereas nemeth shows they need to be flexible
  • aritificial nature of study lacks ecological validity
  • both studies contradict each other
  • other factors contribute to m.i
  • consistency & flexibility alone lack explanatory power
  • holistic explanation is needed
• * evidence from moscovici for consistency?

  • asked women to name colour of 32 blue slides
  • found when minority were consistent with naming coloured slides as green real p conformed on 8.25% of trials in comparison to 1.25% when minority were inconsistent
  • results show how minority can influence majority especially when theyre consistent
• X moscovici study is gynocentric?

  • consisted of 172 female p in groups of 6 where 2 confederates in each group
  • means p do not represent male p & cannot be generalised to wider population
  • ? population
  • results cannot explain m.i of males & larger groups of individuals
• role of social influence in social change?

  1. minority influence results in social change
  2. minority have greatest impact when people believe what theyre saying - conforming due to ISI
  3. if minority remain consistent in message, flexible & committed more & more people start to conform, build up of "converts" aka snowball effect
  4. eventually reaches critical mass where minority has become majority
  5. this is where new social norms are created & people conform to them
  6. once social change has become established people often forget why/how change happened in first place aka social crypto amnesia