Social change

Question 1

Definition of social influence

Answer 1

The process by which individuals and groups change each other’s attitudes and behaviours.

Question 2

Definition of social change

Answer 2

When societies, rather than just individuals adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things.

Question 3

What are the 6 steps to creating social change?

Answer 3

• Drawing attention
• Consistency
• Deeper processing
• Augmentation principle
• Snowball effect
• Social cryptomnesia

Question 4

Explain step 1 - drawing attention

Answer 4

Drawing attention to a situation by providing social proof of the problem

Question 5

Explain step 2 - consistency

Answer 5

Keeping the same position and presenting the same messages

Question 6

Explain step 3 - Deeper processing

Answer 6

People who had simply just been accepting the behaviour, now begin to recognise the injustices of it

Question 7

Explain step 4 - the augmentation principle

Answer 7

Individuals who are trying to influence, take part in risky acts to indicate a strong belief

Question 8

Explain step 5 - the snowball effect

Answer 8

The people trying to change something now begin to gain the attention of officials and more people begin to back the minority

Question 9

Explain step 6 - social cryptomnesia

Answer 9

People have a memory that change has occurred but don’t remember how it happened

Question 10

How did Asch’s variations lead to social change?

Answer 10

• A dissenter being introduced had an effect on the result of the participant
• Just one person can give support to not conforming to the majority
• This lead to social change

Question 11

One strength is that research has shown that social influence processes based on psychological research do work. - Explain this point

Answer 11

• Nolan et al aimed to see if they could change people’s energy use habits.
• Researchers hung messages on people’s doors every week for a month.
• Message was that most residents were trying to reduce energy usage.
• Another group, had the message but with no reference to other people’s behaviour.
• Significant decreases in the first group compared to the second.

Question 12

Another strength is that psychologists can explain how minority influence brings about social change. - Explain this point

Answer 12

• Nemeth claims social change is due to the type of thinking that minorities inspire.
• When people consider minority arguments, they take part in divergent thinking.
• This thinking causes the person to search for info and weigh up options.
• Nemeth argues this leads to better decisions.
• Therefore, dissenting minorities are important as they stimulate new ideas and open minds.

Question 13

One limitation is that deeper processing may not play a role in how minorities bring about social change. - Explain this point

Answer 13

• Mackie presents evidence that majority influence creates the deeper processing.
• This is because we like to believe that others share our views.
• When we find out a majority believes different, we are forced to think about their arguments.
• Therefore, minority influence has less validity as an explanation for social change.