Social influence

• Social change


  When whole societies, rather than just individuals, adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things
• Social change


  • Comes through the minority influence who influence a majority to make changes in society
• Social influence


  When individuals and groups change each others' behaviours and attitudes
• Key areas of social influence

  • Conformity
  • Obedience
  • Minority influence
• Principles of social change

  • Drawing attention
  • The role of conflict/deeper thought processing
  • Consistency
  • The augmentation principle
  • The snowball effect
  • Social Cryptoamnesia
• Drawing attention


  When the minority views are exposed to us this draws the attention to the majority
• The role of conflict/deeper thought processing

  Looking at the minority's view more closely creates conflict with the majority view and it causes the majority to think deeply about it
• Consistency


  If the minority are more consistent then they are more influential when fighting for change
• The augmentation principle


  If risks are involved when putting an argument then the group is taken more seriously
• Social Cryptoamnesia

  Public opinion changes gradually over time, and the minority view is accepted as the norm
• Strength of social influence and social change


  • There are real world evidence, there are evidence throughout history
  • The suffragettes were consistent in their political argument which drew attention
  • They made significant risks such as imprisonment and hunger strikes which backed the augmentation principle
  • This is a strength as overtime their influence led to social change and all adults gaining the right to vote
• Evaluation of Social change

  Real world evidence: suffragettes

  Some people still resist to social influence

  Methological issues : Asch, Milgram, Moscovici

  Role of deeper thought processing
• Minority influence


  A form of social influence which persuades others to adopt their beliefs, attitudes or behaviours. This leads to internalisation or conversion.
• There have been many instances throughout history where small minorities have influenced the majority opinion
• Real life examples of minority influence


  • Jury decisions
  • Political campaigning
• Consistency: If the minority are more consistent then they are influential when fighting for social change
• Commitment: minority influence is more likely to occur if the minority shows dedication to their positions
• Process of minority influence


  1. Factors make someone think about the minority's view

  2. Deeper processing is important

  3. Snowball effect as some agree with minority, minority becomes influential, more convert to minority view
• Evaluation of minority influence theory

  • Consistency is a major factor in minority influence (Moscovici et al, Wood et al)
  • Minority influence is long lasting due to deep thinking and internalisation
  • Research is artificial and lacks external validity
  • Limited real world applications as majorities have more power and status than minorities
• Procedure


  1. Lab study

  2. All female participants (who were given eye test to see that they weren't colourblind)

  3. Placed in group of 4 and 2 confederates

  4. Shown 36 slides which were clearly different shades of blue and asked to state the colour of each slide out loud
• Condition 1


  The two confederates answered green for each of the 36 slides. They were totally consistent in their responses.
• Condition 2


  The two confederates answered green 24 times and blue 12 times. They were inconsistent in their responses.
• Social support

  The presence of people who resist the pressures to conform or obey which can help others do the same
• Locus of control

  The sense we each have about what directs events in our lives
• Internal LOC


  Believe that what happens to them is a largely consequence of their own behaviour
• External LOC


  Believe that what happens to them is controlled by external factors and agents
• Proximity


  The distance between the teacher and learner
• Location


  The setting of the study
• Uniform


  The appearance of the experimenter
• Agentic state


  A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour. We see ourself as an agent of an authority figure.
• Legitimate authority


  Suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us
• Legitimate authority


  The 'experimenter' was at the top of the hierarchy and therefore had legitimate authority as a scientist (in a lab coat)
• Legitimate authority


  Caused obedience
• This is a strength because the students recognised legitimate authority as the cause of obedience, supporting this explanation
• Cultural differences in obedience

  A useful account of cultural differences in obedience
• Cultural differences in obedience

  • Kilham and Mann (1974) replicated Milgram's procedure in Australia and found that only 16% of participants went all the way to 450 volts
  • Mantell (1971) found in a different replication that 85% of German participants went to the full voltage
• Cultural differences in obedience

  Reflects the way different societies are structured and how children are socialised to perceive authority figures
• Different cultures have differing levels of obedience due to how they view authority
• Authoritarian personality


  A type of personality that is susceptible to obeying people in authority
• Milgram found that participants who were highly authoritarian tended to give stronger shocks than those who were less authoritarian