Minority Influence

• Factors affecting Minority Influence

  -Consistency- diachronic - over time, synchronic- between members

  -Moscovici et al blue/green slide- 8% when lacking in consistency

  -commitment- augmentation principle: making sacrifices

  -flexibility- ability to compromise
• one strength of minority influence is there is research support by Moscovici
• one limitation of minority influence is the tasks used to test it are often artificial and therefore lack ecological validity.
• minority influence can lead to social change.
• minority influence has 6 main steps.

  1. Draw attention
  2. Consistency – presented consistent message and intent
  3. Deeper processing – others think more deeply about issue
  4. Augmentation principle – taking risks
  5. Snowball effect – minority grows to become majority
  6. Social cryptomnesia – people forget source of change
• one limitation is deeper processing may jot be a part of social influence. people may just change their behaviour due to obedience or normative social influence