minority influence

• explain Moscovici's study to consistency

  Procedure: Moscovici conducted an experiment in which female participants were shown 36 blue slides of different intensity and asked to report the colours. There were two confederates (the minority) and four participants (the majority).

  
  

  In the first part of the experiment the two confederates answered green for each of the 36 slides. They were totally consistent in their responses.

  
  

  In the second part of the experiment they answered green 24 times and blue 12 times. In this case they were inconsistent in their answers.

  
  

  A control group was also used consisting of participants only - no confederates.

  
  

  
  

  Findings: When the confederates were consistent in their answers about 8% of participants said the slides were green.

  
  

  When the confederates answered inconsistently about 1% of participants Said the slides were green.
• explain why consistency is important

  1. Confronted with a consistent opposition, members of the majority will sit up, take notice, and rethink their position (i.e. the minority focuses attention on itself).

  
  

  2. A consistent minority disrupts established norms and creates uncertainty, doubt and conflict. This can lead to the majority taking the minority view seriously. The majority will therefore be more likely to question their own views.
• explain how the minority influence the majority through commitment

  When the majority is confronted with someone with self-confidence and dedication to take a popular stand and refuses to back own, they may assume that he or she has a point.

  
  

  commitment helps gain attention
• Nemeth's study


  Their experiment was based on a mock jury in which groups of three participants and one confederate had to decide on the amount of compensation to be given to the victim of a ski-lift accident.

  
  

  When the consistent minority (the confederate) argued for a very low amount and refused to change his position, he had no effect on the majority.

  
  

  However, when he compromised and moved some way towards the majority position, the majority also compromised and changed their view.
• What is the snowball effect?

  'Social cryptoamnesia' this is where gradually more people convert to the minority, turning it into the majority.

  E.G Women's rights to vote

  Gay rights
• AO3 research support for consistency

  • evidence demonstrates the importance of consistency
  • moscovici
  • blue/green slide study showed that a consistent minority opinion had a greater effect on changing the views of other people
  • wood
  • meta analysis of 100 similar studies, found that minorities who were seen as being consistent were most influential
  • suggests that presenting a consistent view is a minimum requirement for a minority trying to influence a majority
• AO3 research support for deeper processing

  • evidence shows that a change in the majority positions does involve deeper processing of the minority ideas
  • martin 2003, presented a message supporting a particular viewpoint and measured participants agreement
  • 1 group then heard a minority agree with the initial view while other group heard majority agree
  • participants were exposed to conflicting view and attitudes were measured again
  • people were less willing to change their opinions if they listened to a minority group than majority
  • shows minority message has more effect