Minority influence

• What are the three main processes in minority influence?

  Consistency, commitment and flexibility
• What is minority influence?

  Where one person or a small group influences the beliefs/behaviour of the majority
• What is minority influence likely to lead to?

  Internalisation
• Who first studied minority influence?

  Moscovici
• What is consistency?

  The minority must be consistent in their views
• What are the two forms of consistency?

  Synchronic consistency, diachronic consistency
• What is synchronic consistency?

  Agreement between people in the minority group
• What is diachronic consistency?

  Consistency over time
• What is the effect of a consistent minority?

  Makes others rethink their own views
• What is commitment?

  Minority must demonstrate commitment to their cause or views
• How might minorities show commitment?

  Engaging in extreme activities that present some risk to them
• What is the effect of the minority showing commitment?

  The majority then pay more attention (Augmentation principle)
• What is flexibility?

  Minority adapts their POV and accepts reasonable and valid counterarguments
• What did Nemeth argue about a minority that is consistent?

  Can be seen as rigid, unbending and dogmatic
• What is the effect of all three processes in minority influence?

  Makes people think more deeply about it
• What is the snowball effect?

  Where increasing numbers of people switch from the majority to minority
• What gradually happens with the snowball effect?

  The minority view becomes the majority
• What is deeper processing?

  Where the majority thinks deeply about the minority view because its new and is consistent, committed and flexible