10. social influence and social change

social change meaning

this occurs when whole societies, rather than just individuals, adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things

eg womens suffrage, gay rights, environmentalism

how does minority social influence create social change

1. drawing attention through social proof

2. consistency

3. deeper processing of the issue

4. the augmentation principle - risking life

5. snowball effect

6. social cryptomnesia - people have a memory that change has occurred but dont remember how it happens ie the events

angry chickens demand all seeds shared

lessons from conformity research

• asch highlighted importance of dissent with in a variation having a confederate giving correct answers, breaking the power of the majority and encouraging others to do likewise - such dissent can lead to social change

  OR A DIFFERENT APPROACH

• environmental and health campaigns exploit conformity processes by appealing to NSI - they draw attention to what others are doing and encourage others to do it as they believe everyone else is doing it

lessons from obedience research

• milgrams research clearly demonstrates importance of disobedient role models - in variation where a confederate teacher refuses to give shocks to learner, obedience rate plummeted

• zimbardo suggested how obedience can be used to create social change through process of gradual commitment - once you start doing something it gets harder to stop so people drift into new kinds of behaviour

evaluation

• research support for normative influences & COUNTERPOINT

• minority influence explains change

• role of deeper processing

• barriers to social change

research support for normative influences

• key point: normative influences (social norms) can lead to social change by altering behaviors to align with perceived group standards

• supporting evidence: a study using messages to encourage energy reduction found that referencing the behaviour of others (eg "most people are reducing energy usage") led to a decrease in energy consumption

• explanation: demonstrates how conformity to social norms can positively influence behavior, particularly through majority influence - people may change their actions to fit in with what they believe others are doing, emphasizing the power of normative messaging

• application: has practical implications for policy and campaigns - for example, public health or environmental campaigns could leverage normative messages to promote healthier behaviours, such as reducing smoking or energy consumption

COUNTERPOINT

• key point: normative influences do not always produce long-term or significant social change

• supporting evidence: DeJong et al. reviewed 70 studies on alcohol use and found no significant impact of normative messages on reducing drinking quantity or behaviour

• explanation: suggests that normative influence might work in specific contexts but is not universally effective - factors such as the target audience, the framing of messages, and underlying attitudes may limit its impact

• application: efforts to create social change should not rely solely on normative influence but should combine it with other strategies, such as education or legislation, to increase effectiveness

minority influence explains change

• key point: minority influence brings about social change by encouraging deeper thought and consideration of alternative viewpoints

• supporting evidence: Nemeth (2009) argued that minorities challenge the majority’s way of thinking by encouraging innovation and weighing up more options

• explanation: minorities stimulate critical thinking because their views force the majority to reconsider their existing beliefs - leading to deeper, broader decision-making, which may ultimately result in social change when the minority’s ideas are adopted

• application: movements advocating for societal shifts (such as environmentalism or LGBTQ+ rights) can use consistency and compelling arguments to shift public attitudes and bring about change slowly

role of deeper processing

• key point: deeper processing might not always explain how minorities influence social change

• supporting evidence: Mackie (1987) argued that people process majority views more deeply because they naturally align with those ideas

• explanation: this suggests minority influence might not rely on critical thinking as much as previously believed, raising doubts about its role in fostering deep engagement

• application: campaigns using minority influence may need additional strategies, like emotional appeals or data, to effectively challenge dominant majority views

barriers to social change

• key point: social resistance can hinder minority influence and prevent social change

• supporting evidence: Bashir et al. (2013) found that individuals resist environmentally friendly behaviours because they do not want to be associated with negative stereotypes, such as "tree-huggers”

• explanation: even when minorities present consistent and logical arguments, stereotypes and negative perceptions of the group can create barriers to acceptance - shows that it’s not just the message but also the way the minority group is perceived that matters

• application: activists and campaigners must carefully frame their messages and images to avoid reinforcing stereotypes - focusing on inclusivity and broad appeal can reduce resistance and make social change more likely