support for flexibility

• who's work?


  Nemeth's mock jury
• aim


  to investigate the idea of flexibility as key factor in minority influence
• procedure


  -experiment based on mock jury

  -group of 3 participants and 1 confederate

  -decide on amount of compensation given to victim in ski-lift accident

  -condition 1 (inflexible) : minority argued for low rate of compensation & refused to change position

  -condition 2 (flexible) : minority argued for low rate of compensation but compromised by offering slightly lower rate
• findings


  -condition 1 = minority had little / no effect on majority

  -condition 2 = majority much more likely to compromise & change views
• conclusion


  -highlights importance of flexibility

  -questions idea of consistency

  -suggests balance between two is most successful strategy for minority to influence others