Social influence and social change

What is the first step in the process of minority-driven social change?

Drawing attention to the issue through social proof (e.g., civil rights marches highlighting segregation).

How does the augmentation principle lead to social change?

When minorities show commitment by taking personal risks (e.g., freedom riders), it strengthens their message and makes the majority take notice.

What is the 'snowball effect' in social change?

Minority influence starts small but gradually gains more and more support, accelerating until it becomes the majority view and leads to change (e.g., the Civil Rights Act).

What is social cryptomnesia?

When people remember that social change occurred but forget how it happened or the minority's role in it.

How can conformity research be applied to create social change?

By using normative social influence: providing information about what the majority is actually doing (e.g., "most people recycle") to encourage others to conform to a desirable behavior.

What research supports the use of normative social influence for social change?

Nolan et al. (2008): Messages stating that most residents were reducing energy use led to significant decreases in energy consumption.

How can obedience research be applied to create social change?

By using gradual commitment: getting people to obey a small request first, making it harder to resist a larger one later, so they 'drift' into new behavior.

How do disobedient role models help social change?

They demonstrate that disobedience is possible, reducing obedience rates in others (as shown in Milgram's variation with a disobedient confederate).

How does Nemeth (2009) explain the value of minority influence in social change?

Minorities inspire divergent thinking—a broad, active search for information—which leads to better decisions and more creative solutions to social issues.

What evidence challenges the effectiveness of normative social influence for long-term change?

A Cochrane review (Foxcroft et al. 2015) found social norms interventions had only a small effect on reducing student alcohol use, showing it doesn't always work.

How does Mackie's (1987) research challenge the role of deeper processing in minority influence?

It argues that it is majority influence, not minority, that forces deeper processing because we are more surprised when a majority disagrees with us.