Minority influence

• What is minority influence?

  Minority influence refers to situations where one person or a small group influences the beliefs and behavior of others.
• How does minority influence differ from conformity?

  Minority influence involves a minority influencing others, while conformity involves a majority influencing others.
• What is the outcome of minority influence?

  Minority influence is most likely to lead to internalization, where both public behavior and private beliefs are changed.
• Who first studied minority influence?

  Serge Moscovici first studied minority influence in his 'blue slide, green slide' study.
• What are the three main processes in minority influence?

  • Consistency
  • Commitment
  • Flexibility
• Why is consistency important in minority influence?

  Consistency increases interest from others and makes them rethink their own views.
• What are the two forms of consistency in minority influence?

  Synchronic consistency (agreement within the minority group) and diachronic consistency (agreement over time).
• What does commitment in minority influence entail?

  Commitment involves demonstrating dedication to their views, sometimes through extreme activities that present risk.
• What is the augmentation principle?

  The augmentation principle states that if a minority engages in extreme activities that present risk, it draws more attention to their views.
• Why is flexibility important in minority influence?

  Flexibility allows the minority to adapt their views and accept reasonable counterarguments, preventing them from appearing rigid.
• What is the process of change in minority influence?

  1. Minority's consistent, committed, and flexible views prompt deeper processing.
  2. People begin to rethink their views.
  3. Over time, more individuals switch from majority to minority positions.
  4. This leads to a snowball effect, where the minority view becomes the majority view.
• What is the snowball effect in minority influence?

  The snowball effect refers to the process where increasing numbers of people switch from the majority position to the minority position over time.
• What are the key terms related to minority influence?

  • Minority influence: A form of social influence where a minority persuades others to adopt their beliefs.
  • Consistency: Keeping the same beliefs over time and among individuals in the minority.
  • Commitment: Demonstrating dedication to a position, often through personal sacrifices.
  • Flexibility: Showing willingness to adapt and accept reasonable counterarguments.
• What research supports the importance of consistency in minority influence?

  Moscovici et al.'s study showed that a consistent minority opinion had a greater effect on changing views than an inconsistent opinion.
• What did Wendy Wood et al.'s meta-analysis find regarding minority influence?

  Wendy Wood et al. found that minorities seen as consistent were most influential in changing views.
• What evidence supports deeper processing in minority influence?

  Robin Martin et al. found that participants were less willing to change their opinions after hearing a minority group compared to a majority group.
• What is a limitation of research on minority influence regarding real-world situations?

  Research often lacks external validity as it involves artificial tasks that do not reflect real-life social influence situations.
• How do real-world social influence situations differ from minority influence research?

  Real-world situations often involve more power and status for majorities, which is not reflected in minority influence research.
• What is a criticism of the tasks used in minority influence research?

  The tasks are often artificial and do not accurately represent how minorities attempt to change majority behavior in real life.
• What is the significance of being in a minority?

  Being in a minority can lead to commitment to a cause and influence others.
• How can the principles of minority influence be applied in social movements?

  Social movements can use consistency, commitment, and flexibility to persuade others to adopt their beliefs.