Minority Influence And Social Change

Question 1

What is majority influence

Answer 1

People identify with the majority and try to fit in with their opinion

Question 2

What is minority influence

Answer 2

People want to know why the minority have this belief and consider the message, more likely to result in internalisation

Question 3

Explain consistency

Answer 3

When the minority are consistant in their views. Either synchronic consistency: when everyone is saying the same thing. Or diachronic: in which people have been saying this thing for a while. Both make the majority re think their own views

Question 4

Commitment

Answer 4

Minority need to demonstrate their commitment to their views, might do extreme stuff to get people to pay attention to their views. The action needs to pose as a risk to the minority to show that they r committed. Therefore majority members pay even more attention

Question 5

Flexibility

Answer 5

Consistancy may be seen a boring and rigid. Instead members of the minority need to be prepared to adapt their point of view and provide counter arguments.

Question 6

What is the snowball effect

Answer 6

Over time some of the majority switch their views to the minority, the more this happens the fasterthe rate of conversion

Question 7

What are the six stages of Social change

Answer 7

Drawing attention, consistency, deeper processing, argumentation principle, snowball effect, social cryptomnesia

Question 8

Social change AO3 research support

Answer 8

Nolan, change people energy habits - hung signs on doors ‘residents are trying’ decreases compare to control where there was request to save energy. Led to change through normative social influence. Shows support for deeper processing and snowballing.

Question 9

Social change AO3 confounding evidence

Answer 9

Foxcroft, no change in student drinking habits after a campaign appealing to normative social influence (which may link in with some elements of a social change, particularly the snowball part). This is evidence against the idea that people always change behaviour due to normative social influence. BUT drinking is personal

Question 10

Social change AO3 simplistic

Answer 10

Nemeth, broad thinking helps create change which people who are minorities are engaging in as they are already in position. This leads into change as it inspires others to think the way minorities do rather than the social change principles themselves. (Thinks flow diagram is too rigid and reductionist) also Mackie thinks deeper processing comes as a result of realising others font share our views rather than considering messages that lead to deeper processing.