Evaluation

• R+ - Nolan et al

  • Energy usage messages on doors
  • Control - vague, 'reduce energy usage'
  • Key message - NSI, 'most people...'
  • Significant decrease in energy usage in key message group
  • T/f conformity can lead to social change through NSI, i.e. it is a valid explanation
  • R++ Field experiment
• R+ - Schultz

  • NSI message about towel usage on hotel doors
  • Reduced towel usage by 25%
  • T/f NSI can be effective
• Criticism - Foxcroft et al

  • Used NSI to reduce teen alcohol intake
  • Small effect on quantity, no effect on frequency
  • T/f NSI does NOT ALWAYS produce long-term social change
• Criticism - Mackie

  • Deeper processing may not play a role in how minorities bring about change
  • We believe others think as we do
  • Pressure to think about majority's views
  • Central element of minority influence changed, doubt on validity as an explanation for social change
• Criticism - Bashir et al

  • Barriers to social change
  • Majority often hold negative views on the minority
  • e.g. 'environmentalists' being called 'tree-huggers'
  • T/f an explanation for resistance to NSI
• Criticism - Maass et al

  • Homosexual minority/heterosexual minority and heterosexual majority
  • LGBT rights
  • Hetero minority > influence than homo minority
  • T/f social influence & change can only take place under certain circumstances
  • T/f weakens theory of social influence and change