Outline and evaluate research into minority social influence (Moscovici and Nemeth) Flashcards
Summary
Using a lab experiment with independent groups and volunteer sampling, female participants were told they were taking part in an investigation into visual perception
Placed in groups of 6 with 4 genuine and 2 confederates (minority). Each group shown 36 blue slides (various shades of blue) and asked to publicly state the colour of each slide. Confederates seated so they gave their answers out loud and before the genuine.
2 experimental conditions; one where minority (confederates) consistently gave same wrong answer (calling all 36 slides green when clearly blue) and other where minority inconsistently gave wrong answer (24 out of 36 as green).
Control condition with 6 genuine, no confederate. Moscovici recorded number of participants who were influenced by minority, by saying a slide was green. Found that participants were influenced in 8.42% of consistent trials, by agreeing with minority that blue slide were green.
When minority were inconsistent, participants were influenced in just 1.25% trials. Only 0.25% participants called blue slide green in control, suggesting task was unambiguous.
Shows that a minority can influence the majority to change their private attitudes or public behaviour, particularly if minority is consistent
Limit 1
Low external validity due to its mundane realism
Which is when the procedure doesnt seem mundane or like real life, meaning that the findings cannot be generalised to other settings
This is because the procedure used a highly artificial task (naming colour of slide) which is very different from how minorities might influence a majority in real life
Therefore, findings may tell us very little about minority social influence in real life, such as political campaigning, where a minority group tries to influence the majority to change their opinion on a complex issue
Limit 2
Other research has shown that in order to influence the majority, the minority must show flexibility. This is when the minority seems reasonable and non-dogmatic, by being open to the views of others
Strong evidence for the role of flexibility in minority influences comes from Nemeth
They found, in a stimulated jury situation where participants had to discuss the amount of compensation someone injured in a ski-lift accident should receive, participants were more influenced by a minority who showed a willingness to compromise than a minority who appeared rigid in their opinions
This shows that flexibility increases the effect of minority influence
Limit 3
If a minority gives up easily, they will not be able to effectively influence the majority group. Instead, the minority must show commitment; this is when the minority shows persistence and determination, without giving in to pressure from the majority
Strong evidence for the role of commitment is minority influence comes from Xie
They found that there was a tipping point of just 10% of a population needed at which, the committed minority group begin to convert the majority to their way of thinking.
They showed that when participants were free to chat across networks, the addition of a small committed minority quickly began to shift the opinions of the majority
This shows that commitment increases the effect of minority influence
4
Research shows identifying the influence of a minority is difficult.
In a variation to Moscovici’s study the participants wrote their judgements down in private and found much greater agreement with the majority
This suggests some of the major or they had been reluctant to show their agreement publicly
This shows that individuals are reluctant to appear as dissenting from the majority, possibly out of a fear they will be seen to not fit in, as explained by normative social influence
