Minority influence and social change

• Minority influence is the process by which a small group can change the attitudes or behaviour of the majority
• Moscovici did a study calling the blue slide green.where blue coloured slides differed in brightness and intensity. He got 192 female American as pps and separated them into groups of 6. 2 were confederates and 4 were real(naive) pps. there were two conditions; consistent and inconsistent. The pls had to guess the colour of 36 slides In each condition.
• In the consistent condition the confederates said the slides were green on every occasion and the inconsistent condition the confederates said the slide was green 24 times and blue 12 times. It was found that pps in the consistent trials gave the wrong answer 8.42% of the time. While in the inconsistent trial it dropped to 1.25%. Concluding that consistency is the most important factor in influencing the majority.
• The research led to three main factors that lead to minority influence; commitment flexibility and consistency.
• Minority influence is most likely to lead to internalisation .
• Consistency can help minority influence as it makes people rethink their view. There are two types: diachronic and synchronic.
• Diachronic consistency is when the minority remain consistent over time, while synchronic consistency is when they remain consistent saying the same thing within one interaction.
• Commitment is when people are willing to take risks for their cause/belief.
• Flexibility means that the minority can accept counter arguments and adopt other views. This is because being too consistent makes people dogmatic + rigid
• The process of conversion happens when deeper processing occurs. Over time people convert from the majority to minority, and the more this happens the faster the rate of conversion. This is called the snowball effect.
• What are advantages of minority influence?

  There is research evidence. Moscovici blue/green slide study and Wendy wood's meta-analysis of almost 100 studies showed being consistent was the most influential and therefore the minimum requirement for minority influence.
• What is another advantage of minority influence?

  There is research that supports internalisation. In another condition Moscovici makes the same pps write down their answers and results show that most of them privately agreed with the minority answer, even though they didn't want to admit it publicly.
• What is a disadvantage of minority influence?

  The Moscovici study used artificial stimuli. Deciding the colour does not reflect the how minorities try to change behaviour or show that the outcomes are more important. Therefore it lack external validity.
• Another disadvantage of MI

  situations between majority and minority is complex. Majority carry status and power and minorities are committed and know and support each other. Therefore minority studies rarely reflect the real-life dynamics of MI.
• social change = the process of change in society, usually caused by conflict with those in authority/power. It usually comes from the a small group that tries to win over the majority.
• Drawing attention to the issue through providing social proof - minorities will make sure that the public are exposed to their issue.
• Cognitive conflict - when given proof we can't dismiss ideas as easily and have to think of it more deeply.
• Importance of consistency of position - this means that they consistently carry thier argument.
• The augmentation principle is when the minority are willing to take risks to show their commitment to their cause.
• when the minority gains momentum it leads to the snowball effect, the bigger the change the faster it happens
• social cryptoamnesia - people know a change has occurred but don't know how it happened or when .
• The role of majority influence: normative social influence - people alter their behaviour to fit social norms and social change is encouraged when people think that is what everyone else is doing.

  Evidence: Nolan put a sign of door saying that most neighbours are trying to reduce their energy usage and most reduced their energy consumption afterwards.
• Majority influence: obedience -gradual commitment, once a small instruction is obeyed it become more difficult to resist a bigger one.

  evidence: Milgram study once their administer the first shock 65% of pps went to up to the max electric shock.
• what is a strength of social change?

  research evidence with Nolan et al showing that conformity - normative social influence leads to social change and is a valid explanation to social change.
• Another strength of social change

  Psychologist can explain how MI leads to social change. Nemeth soical change is due to divergent think that minorities inspire as the thinker thinks more broadly than narrow. They also allow for creative solutions to social issues and better decision making.
• what is a counterpoint of Nolan strength for social change?

  Foxcroft reviewed 70 studies where social norms was used on reducing student alcohol use and the result showed a small reduction in drinking quantity and no effect in the frequency. therefore showing using NSI doesn't always produce long term social change.
• what is a disadvantage of social change?

  MI is only indirectly effective. Social change happens slowly and the majority is mainly influence by the related issues no the central issue. This means that MI leading to social change is mostly delayed and indirect e.g. attitudes to drink driving took decades.