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9 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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What is minority influence? |
When majority is influenced by the minority to reconsider their beliefs & change their behaviour on a deeper level. - Known as conversion or internalisation.
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Outline qualities minority need to have to be effective.
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1. Consistency - When people are first exposed they believe minority is wrong. - If minority are consistent they may reassess the situation again. - Consistency may be shown over time or between members of minority group. 2. Commitment - Minority must be dedicated to cause or activity = more influential. 3. Flexibilty - Willingness to compromise & adjust their your views/position. - Other research found that consistency alone was not sufficient to ensure minority influence.
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A&P of Moscovici's Research into Minority Influence.
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Aims - Investigate if a consistent minority causes pp's to change their views in unambiguous situations. - To show that social influence occurs not just through conformity but through a change to a minority viewpoint. Procedure - Female pp's were required to estimate colour of 36 slides (all blue but varied in brightness). - 6 pp's: 4=real & 2=confeds a) Consistent condition= 2 confeds called all slides green b) Inconsistent condition= 2 confeds call 24 slides green & 12 blue. c) Control group used for comparison (no confeds). - Minority influence measure by % of naïve pp's who went along w/ confeds when the called blue slides green. |
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F&C of Moscovici's Research into Minority Influence.
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Findings - In consistent condition, 8.42% agreed with minority. - In inconsistent condition, 1.25% of pp's answers were green. - In control, 0.25% answered green. - So consistent condition showed greatest giving into minority influence. Conclusion - Minorities can have small influence over majority (8.42%). - Consistency is a key element in minority influence (from 8.42% to 1.25%). - However, cautious interpretation is important b/c, even though minority influence was shown, most pp's were not affected by it. |
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Criticism of Moscovici's Research into Minority Influence: Methodological Weakness - Lack of Population Validity.
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- Only female undergrad pp's so is a biased sample. - Might need to question how far these results can be generalised to the wider population. - Females said to be more conformist so more affected by minority influence than males. |
- Only what type of pp's? - We might need to question what? - Females said to be more what? So more affected by what? |
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Criticism of Moscovici's Research into Minority Influence: Methodological Weakness - Lack of external Validity
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- Research set-up had little relevance to real-life: took place in lab w/ artificial task. - Not representative of minority influence in real life social situations= lacks mundane realism. - Identifying colour of slide is trivial unlike decision -making by juries. - Findings are limited. |
- Little relevance, why? - Lacks mundane realism - Trivial unlike... |
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Criticism of Moscovici's Research into Minority Influence: Ethical Weaknesses -Deception
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- Necessary for Moscovci to deceive pp's about purpose of experiment in order to investigate hypothesis. - Confeds to facilitate deception. - However, pp's told true purpose & aims @ end = acts as a debrief. - Deception is relatively harmless: task didn't involve undue stress. -Might use a cost benefit analysis to judge the study to be ethically acceptable. |
- Necessary - However, what happened @ the end? - Relatively harmless - Cost benefit analysis |
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Strength of Moscovici's Research into Minority Influence: Supporting Evidence for Moscovici's Variables
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- Consistency by Wood et al. - Carried out meta-analysis of almost 97 similar studies. - Again found that minorities who were seen as being consistent were more influential compared to inconsistent minorities. |
- Wood et al - 97 similar studies - Consistent minorities. |
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Limitation of Moscovici's Research into minority influence: Flexibility
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- Nemeth argued that consistency can be interpreted negatively. - Minorities must avoid appearing rigidly inflexible, at least willing to hear another view point. - He created groups: 3 pp's & 1 confed, had to decide how much compensation to pay a victim from ski accident. - When consistent confed argued low amount & refused to change position = no effect. - When he compromised to little higher amount = majority changed opinion. - Shows minorities have to also be flexible to be persuasive. - Mugny suggests minority is often powerless to negotiate their position so can't enforce it. - Most successful approach= strike a balance between consistency & flexibility. |
- What did Nemeth argue? - Rigidly inflexible... - Made groups to decide compensation payout.. - What happened with rigid, consistent confed? - What happened when he compromised? What does this show? - What did Mugny suggest? - What is the most successful approach?
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