social change

• Social change is when a society changes their beliefs/attitudes toward a certain topic. An example of this being the change in attitude towards homosexuality.
• Process of social change:

  • drawing attention - highlight what needs to be changed, give evidence of this change being needed.
  • consistency - hold same beliefs for a long time & all people in the group share them.
  • augmentation principle - make a personal risk, shows commitment and the importance of the change.
  • deeper processing - people start to question the majority & their beliefs.
  • snowball effect - people start to convert to the minority view.
  • social cryptomnesia - people remember that a change happened but not how it happened.
• Asch's research shows that social change is encouraged when people draw attention to what is already happening (NSI). Adding a dissenter who broke unanimity helped create social change.
• Milgram's research showed the importance of an authority figure and a disobedient individual. This is how social change is created.
• Zimbardo found that if people obey less serious instructions they will obey more serious instructions. Social change can be created this way.
• Social change AO3:

  • supporting evidence for NSI causing social change: Nolan et al. Put notes on doors about decreasing energy consumption, said most people were already doing it. Consumption decreased. Validates the idea.
  • minority influence is an indirect explanation of social change. Nemeth = effects of minority influence = indirect & delayed. Takes time to see the effects. Other explanations.
  • minority influence=limited explanation of social change. Change happens if the minority is consistent but Bashir found people don't want to be eco friendly as they don't want to be labelled.