Minority influence:

• STRENGTH:

  • research evidence demonstrating the importance of consistency
  • Moscovici et al.'s blue/green slide study showed that a consistent minority opinion had a greater effect on changing the views of other people than an inconsistent opinion
  • Wood et al. (1994) carried out a meta-analysis of almost 100 similar studies and found that minorities who were seen as being consistent were most influential.

  This suggests that presenting a consistent view is a minimum requirement for a minority trying to influence a majority.
• • STRENGTH
  • evidence show change in the majority's involves deeper processing of the minority's ideas
  • Martin et al 2003 presented a message supporting a viewpoint and measured pp agreement
  • 1 group then heard a minority group agree with initial view 2nd group heard a majority group agree with it
  • pp exposed to conflicting view and attitudes were measured again
  • pp were less willing to change their opinion if they had listened to minority group than a majority group

  Minority message had been deeply processed having a enduring effect supports central argument how minority influence works
• COUNTERPOINT

  • Research studies such as Martin et al's make clear distinctions between the majority and the minority
  • Done in a controlled way is strength of minority influence research
  • But real-world social influence sit are more complicated
  • IE majorities have alot more power than minorities
  • Minorities are very committed to their causes they have to be as they face very hostile opposition
  • These features are absent from minority influence research the minority is simply smallest group

  Martin findings are v limited in what they tell us about minority influence in real-world situations