Minority influence

• • Commitment: degree to which minority members are dedicated to their particular cause of activity. The greater the perceived commitment, the greater the influence
• Consistency:

  • minority influence effective, provided that there is stability in the dressed position over time and agreement among different members of the minority.
  • Wood 1994, meta analysis 97 studies minority influence, minorities seen as consistent in expressing their position particularly influential
• Flexibility:

  • a willingness to be flexible and to compromise when expressing a position.
  • Mugny 1982, groups more flexible than rigid in argument more successful at changing majority view
• Moscovici 1969

  • Groups with 4 Ps and 2 conferederates each. Shown many blue slides. In consistent group, confederates always called slides green. In inconsistent group, called slides green ⅔ of the time, called other ones blue. Control group of six Ps, all called blue.
  • Consistent group got Ps to say green 8% of time, while I consistent only got 1%
• AO3

  • Nemeth and Brilmayer 1987, simulated jury discuss compensation to be paid for ski lift accident. When confederate puts forward alternate view and refuses to change position (inflexible), there was no effect on group. When confederate compromised, there was influence on group (though, influence only evident in those who shifted later in negotiations)
• AO3

  • Nemeth 2010, as result of exposure to minority position, people more likely to search for more info, make better decisions, be more creative. Dissenters liberate people to share their beliefs and stimulate divergent thought. Van Dyne and Saavedra 1996, studied role of dissent in work group, groups involved decision quality when exposed to minority perspective
• AO3

  • Mackie 1987, minority views don't necessarily lead to better processing, it is majority who are more likely to create greater message processing. We tend to believe majority holds same view as us, if majority expresses different view than our own we're more likely to carefully consider why. People usually spend less time considering a minority view that is different to their own
• AO3

  • Xie 2011, computer model of social network, where fake individuals free to chat with each other. Each held traditional viewpoint, but researchers added minority, who were consistent. If one individual opinion different to minority, they considered it and moved on, if next individual also minority, the original individual also became minority. After a while, minority and majority began to shift - tipping point. Snowball effect, only 10% of committed opinion holders needed to tip majority
• AO3

  • Nemeth 2010, some people only appear tolerant on surface, but quickly become irritated when dissenting view persists. May fear group harmony being broken, or fear ridicule of dissenter, so majority persists