Minority influence

• Moscovici (1969) study procedure


  1. Groups of people (2 confederates, 4 participants) viewed 36 blue coloured slides of varying intensities

  2. They were asked to state whether the slides were blue or green
• Consistent minority condition


  • Both confederates consistently said the slides were green
• Inconsistent minority condition


  • Confederates were inconsistent (green = 24 times, blue = 12 times)
• Control group


  • No confederates
• findings in the consistent minority 


  participants gave the same wrong answer in 8.42% of trials
• findings the inconsistent minority 


  participants gave the same wrong answer 1.25% trials
• control group findings 


  they wrongly identified the colour 0.25% of the trials
• What is minority influence

  When one person/small group influences the belief and behaviour of others
• internalisation


  minority influence leads to internalisation where both public and private beliefs and behaviour are changed. there are 3 processes:

  • consistency
  • commitment
  • flexibility
• consistency - always doing the same thing

  means the minoritys view gains more interest. consistency makes others rethink their own views
• synchronic consistency


  people in the minority are all saying the same thing
• diachronic consistency

  they’ve been saying the same thing for some time
• commitment - showing deep involvement 


  helps gain attention e.g. through extreme activities. activities must create some risk to the minority to demonstrate commitment to the cause
• what is the augmentation principle


  majority pay even more attention
• flexibility - showing willingness to listen to others 


  the minority should balance consistency and flexibility so they dont appear rigid. Nemeth argued that being consistent and repeating the same arguments and behaviours is off putting to the majority. so, the minority should adapt their point of view and accept reasonable counter arguments
• explaining the process of minority influence

  individuals think deeply about the minority position because its new/unfamiliar.

  snowball effect - over time people become converted. there is a switch from the minority to majority. the more this happens, the faster the rate of conversion. gradually the minority view becomes the majority and social change has occurred