social change

• Lessons from conformity:

  • NSI = social change comes about because we want to be part of majority and people change behaviours
• Lessons from obedience:

  • gradual commitment = people obey instructions one step at a time
• Process:

  1. drawing attention via social proof
  2. consistency = position remains constant
  3. deeper processing minority view
  4. augmentation principle
  5. snowball effect
  6. social crytpoamensia
• augmentation principle = personal sacrifice for cause shows lack of self interest
• snowball effect - minority becomes majority
• Minority influence explains social change:

  • Nemeth = social change is due to type of minorities engaging in divergent thinking which allows for more info to be secured and weighs up more options
  • this means better decisions are made and more creative solutions
  • stimulates new ideas and opens minds in a way majority cannot
• Role of deeper processing:

  • may not play a role in how minorities bring about social change
  • Mackie = majority influences influence deeper processing if you do not share the same views
  • this is because we like to believe other people share our views and think the same ways as us
  • if majority believes something different they are forced to thinking long and hard about argument and reasoning
  • central element of minority influence challenged = casts doubt on validity