minority influence Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is minority influence?
When a small group or individual influences the beliefs and behaviour of the majority.
How is minority influence different from conformity?
Minority influence involves a small group influencing the majority, while conformity is when the majority influences the individual.
What is internalisation in minority influence?
A type of conversion where people change both their public behaviour and private beliefs.
What did Moscovici study in relation to minority influence?
The ‘blue slide, green slide’ study demonstrating how a consistent minority can influence the majority.
What are the key processes in minority influence?
Consistency, commitment, and flexibility.
Why is consistency important in minority influence?
It draws attention to the minority view and shows that the minority is not acting out of self-interest.
What is synchronic consistency?
All members of the minority saying the same thing.
What is diachronic consistency?
The minority saying the same thing over time.
What is the augmentation principle?
When minorities show commitment by taking risks, it increases the attention their views receive.
Why is commitment important in minority influence?
It shows dedication to the cause, which can attract attention and respect.
What does flexibility mean in the context of minority influence?
Being willing to adapt and compromise increases influence and avoids seeming rigid.
Who suggested the importance of flexibility in minority influence?
Nemeth
What is the snowball effect?
When the minority view gathers more support and gradually becomes the majority view.
What is the process of conversion?
When people change from the majority view to the minority view due to deeper processing.
What did Moscovici’s blue-green slide study find?
Consistent minorities influenced participants to give incorrect answers more often than inconsistent ones.
How did Moscovici’s inconsistent condition affect results?
The minority had significantly less influence.
What is a limitation of tasks used in minority influence studies?
They are often artificial, lacking real-world relevance.
Why is research support for consistency important?
Studies show consistent minorities are more influential.
What did Wood et al. (1994) find?
A meta-analysis showed that consistent minorities were most influential.
What did Martin et al. (2003) find?
They found that minority messages are more deeply processed and enduring.
Why is deeper processing a strength of minority influence?
It means people consider and remember the minority’s viewpoint more.
What is a counterpoint to minority influence research?
Real-world situations are more complex, and minorities face greater opposition.
Why is it hard to generalise minority influence studies?
Because they often lack ecological validity and are conducted in artificial settings.
What is an artificial task in the context of minority influence?
Judging slide colours, which doesn’t reflect real-life decisions.
