social influence and social change Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is minority influence?
A form of social influence where a small group or individual affects the beliefs and behaviours of the majority, often leading to internalisation.
What is the role of consistency in minority influence?
A consistent minority message (synchronic or diachronic) is more likely to influence the majority.
How does commitment strengthen minority influence?
Demonstrating dedication and personal risk makes the minority more persuasive (augmentation principle).
Why is flexibility important in minority influence?
A rigid minority can be off-putting; flexibility shows willingness to compromise and accept counterarguments.
What is the snowball effect in social change?
As more people adopt the minority view due to consistency, commitment, and flexibility, the idea gathers momentum and becomes the majority view.
What did Moscovici et al. (1969) find about social influence?
Consistent minorities were more influential (8.42%) compared to inconsistent ones (1.25%), demonstrating how minority influence can lead to social change.
How does Moscovici et al. (1969) support minority influence?
It shows that consistent minority views significantly increase influence, encouraging internalisation.
What did Martin et al. (2003) find about deeper processing?
Participants exposed to a minority view were less likely to be influenced later, showing minority influence prompts deeper cognitive processing.
Why is minority influence research criticised for artificial tasks?
Tasks like identifying colours lack real-world relevance, limiting external validity and applicability to social/political change.
What limitation did Nemeth (1986) highlight?
Minority influence is often slow and indirect, taking time to influence attitudes rather than behaviour immediately.
