Minority Influence Flashcards
(10 cards)
Define Minority Influence
Minority influence occurs when one person or a small group challenges the beliefs/behaviours of the majority.
The goal is to bring about social change.
Identify the 3 Behaviours an Effective Minority Must Show
- Commitment
- Consistency
- Flexibility
What does Commitment in Minority Influence involve?
Involves risk or sacrifice (e.g. arrest, time, money).
Shows the minority is dedicated, confident, and not acting out of self-interest.
What is the role of Consistency in Minority Influence?
Minority repeats the same message over time (e.g. regular protests).
Being consistent leads the majority to reassess their views.
What does Flexibility entail in Minority Influence?
Minority must be open to discussion, listen to counterarguments, and compromise.
Avoids appearing rigid, which can be off-putting.
What is a strength of Research into Minority Influence regarding flexibility?
Study: Confederates in a compensation task.
Flexible confederates = majority shifted opinions. How much to pay to a victim of a ski-lift accident. When the confederate argued for a low amount and refused to change their position (i.e. not showing flexibility), they had no effect on the majority (the three participants). However, when they compromised and moved to offering a slightly higher amount, the majority changed their opinion. This is a strength because it shows how minorities need to be flexible to be persuasive. Therefore adds credibility.
What is a strength of Research into Minority Influence regarding consistency?
Moscovici’s slide study: Consistent group = greater conformity than inconsistent group.
Shows consistency is persuasive. Researcher placed 4 participants in a room with two confederates (the minority) where they were asked to state the colour of the slides they were presented with. The confederates answered first, and all the slides were blue but of differing brightness. There were two conditions: the consistent condition whereby the two confederates called the slides green on all trials; and the inconsistent condition whereby the confederates identified some of the slides as blue but others as green. Moscovici found that participants conformed more to the confederates’ answers when they were consistent. This is a strength because it shows that a consistent minority Is more effective than an inconsistent minority. Therefore adds credibility.
What is a limitation of Research into Minority Influence?
Studies involved hypothetical or lab-based tasks (e.g. slide colours, compensation decisions).
May not reflect real-world social influence.
Provide a real-life example supporting commitment in Minority Influence.
E.g. Rosa Parks demonstrated commitment by risking arrest during bus segregation.
Her actions sparked the Civil Rights Movement.
What is another limitation of Research into Minority Influence?
Influence depends on whether the majority identifies with the minority.
Even a consistent/flexible/committed minority may fail without identification.
