Social Influence: Minority influence and social change

Question 1

Explain Moscovici’s study on consistent minorities vs inconsistent minorities

Answer 1

• Method: participants judged the colour of 36 slides -> all slides of blue, but brightness of blue varied -> 2/6 ppts in each group were confederates.
• Condition 1: confederates called all 36 slides green (consistent)
• Condition 2: called 24 slides green and 12 blue (inconsistent).
  -> the control group continued no confederates.
• Results: Consistent condition: 8.4% of time ppts call slides green.
  -> 32% of ppts call slides ‘green’ at least once.
• Inconsistent condition: only 1.25% of the time participants moved to minority.
• Conclusion: Minority had more influence when consistently called slides ‘green’.

Question 2

Evaluate Moscovici’s study on consistent minorities

Answer 2

(-) lab experiment -> lacked ecological validity -> was an artificial task.
-> (-) ppts may have seen this as a trivial exercise.
- Only women involved -> can’t be generalised to men.
(+) Control group -> ppts were actually were influenced by minority -> causation.
(+) Variation -> ppts write down the colour rather than say it out loud.
-> even more agreed with the minority -> had more support for the minority influence.

Question 3

Explain Nemeth’s experiment on flexibility (moscovici variation)

Answer 3

• participants answer with all the colours they saw in the slide, e.g. could answer ‘green-blue’ rather than ‘green’
  -> 3 variations where 2 confederates:
• said all slides were ‘green’.
• said slides were ‘green’ or green-blue’ at random.
• said brighter slides were ‘green-blue’ and duller slides were ‘green’.
• When cons always answered ‘green’ (consistent) or viewed responses randomly (inconsistent) -> no effect.
• When cons varied, confederates had significant effect.
• Most influence when they were consistent but flexible.
• Rigid consistency wasn’t effective -> unrealistic when a wider rage of options were allowed.

Question 4

What is Moscovici’s conversion theory (majority theory)

Answer 4

• Suggests majority + minority influences are different processes.
• Majority influence: people compare their behaviour to majority and adapt to fit in -> don’t consider the majority’s views in detail.
  -> Majority influence involves compliance -> ppl don’t always change private feelings -> just behaviour.

Question 5

What is Moscovici’s conversion theory (minority theory)

Answer 5

• with a consistent minority -> ppl may examine beliefs in detail -> want to understand why majority sees things differently.
  -> can lead to private acceptance of minority view -> convert to minority position.
  -> social pressure to conform means behaviour change -> at 1st.

Question 6

What is commitment what are the stages of this influence

Answer 6

• linked to Moscovici’s conversion theory and his main factor consistency -> which shows commitment.

1) Minority views can be seen as wrong -> don’t match with what’s considered the norm.
2) through consistency -> shows commitment -> unwilling to compromise (minority not willing to conform).
3) creates conflict -> must consider their views and if you should also -> this is called the validation process.
4) If there is no reason to dismiss the minority (not acting out of self-interest etc) -> start seeing things as the minority does.