AO3

• ·         Social change may be very gradual – people have a strong tendency to conform to the majority and maintain the status quo, so groups do not engage in social change. 
• ·       Minorities are considered deviant – thus why majorities may avoid agreeing with them so not to be seen as deviant themselves. 
• ·         Social change does not always happen after social norms intervention – DeJong (2009) found students did not lower their alcohol or change their perceptions about student drinking levels. Suggests that social norms intervention alone are not sufficient for social change to occur.
• ·         The opposite effect can sometimes occur – people already behaving constructively may begin behaving destructively. Schultz et al (2007) found that a campaign was effective in lowering heavy electricity users’ consumption, but increased consumption in those originally using less = a ‘boomerang effect’.