Minority Influence

Question 1

What is minority influence?

Answer 1

A form of social influence where a minority (can even just be ne person) of people persuade/ convert others to adopt their beliefs and 1 or behaviour.

Question 2

What are the 3 factors effecting the success of influencing the majority?

Answer 2

• Commitment
• consistency
• flexibility

Question 3

What is consistency?

Answer 3

• If the minority remains consistent, this increases awareness of and interest in the cause from the majority.
• this could cause the majority to rethink their views.

Question 4

What are the two types of consistency?

Answer 4

• Synchronic
  -Diachronic

Question 5

What is synchronic consistency?

Answer 5

• ## Every member of the minority saying the same thing (same beliefs (opinions).

Question 6

What is diachronic consistency?

Answer 6

• Saying the same thing for a long time

Question 7

What is some supporting evidence for consistency?

Answer 7

Moscovici et tal researched the effect of consistency on minority influence.

Question 8

What was the procedure and findings of moscovici et al?

Answer 8

Procedure

• participants were shown a blue screen, 2 confederates answered green consistently.

Findings

• as a result, participants called slides green in 8.42% of the trials.
• 32% called a blue slide green at least once.

Question 9

What is commitment?

Answer 9

• Sometimes minorities engage in extreme activities / put themselves at risk or inconvenience to draw attention to their cause.
• activities must put some sort of risk on minority. Eg. Arrested as it shows commitment to the cause and generates interest.
• however, these activities may present a bad image of the minority (their cause) so people might be less likely to change their views as they may think it is annoying / inconvenient.

Question 10

What is flexibility?

Answer 10

• When the minority listen to the views of others and try to adjust their views to those of the majority (try to compromise / find a middle ground).
• so they may be more likely to convert the majority.

Question 11

What is some evidence for flexibility?

Answer 11

• Nemeth and brilmayer (1987)
• there were 3 real participants and one confederate, they had to decide the compensation that should be awarded to a victim of a ski lift accident.

Question 12

What were the findings of nemeth and brilmayer?

Answer 12

• Participants who were willing to compromise were more successful at reaching a conclusion than those who remained rigid and consistent.