Social Influence and Social Change

Explain the steps in how minority influence can cause social change

1) Drawing Attention - exposed to their views

2) Consistency - more influential when consistent and taken more seriously

3) Deeper processing/Cognitive Conflict - allowing people to think about the issue on a more deeper level - there is a cognitive conflict between inconsistent thoughts

4) The Augmentation Principle - taken more serious when they are taking more risks and willing to take the consequences

5) The snowball effect - as group grows majority soon adopt the view

6) Social cryptomnesia - people have a memory that changed has occurred but not specifically when

Evaluation of social change from minority Influence (STRENGTH)

• Research support for normative influence -

  • Schultz - hotel 75% decided to reuse there towels - conformity can decrease through normative social messages

Evaluation of social change from minority Influence (WEAKNESS)

• Takes a long time -

  • not as effective as majority influence

  • can lead to internalisation

  • need snowball effect for it to be effective

• Minority groups are seen as deviants and a barrier to social change

  • Bashir - people less likely to behave environmentally friendly as they do not want to be associated with environmental activists

  • hatred builds and no social change impact occurs

• Methodological Issues

  • Research uses artificial stimulus

  • lacks ecological validity/ mundane realism

  • desired characteristics can occur as they guess aim of study

How can conformity lead to social change

• minority influence

• normative influence

• obedience (laws)