Social influence processes in social change

Social Change

Occurs when whole societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs, & ways of doing things

Social Cryptomnesia

When people have memory of change occurring but don’t remember how it happened

6 Steps to social change

1. Drawing attention to an issue / thru social proof

2. Consistency 

3. Deeper Processing / Cognitive Conflict 

4. Augmentation principle 

5. Snowball principle

6. Social cryptomnesia 

Deeper Processing / Cognitive Conflict

Minority creates conflict between what majority believes & the position held by the minority

Augmentation Principle

If minority appears to willingly suffer for their views, they’re seen as more committed & so taken more seriously by others 

Role of Asch in social change

Such dissent has the potential to ultimately lead to social change

Role of NSI in social change

Drawing attention to what the majority are actually doing

Role of Milgram in social change

• Importance of disobedient role model 

• Confederate teacher refuses to give shocks to leaner & rate of obedience for naïve participants plummeted  

Role of Zimbardo in social change 

• Gradual commitment 

• People essentially ‘drift’ into a new kind of behaviour 

Social norms interventions

Attempt to correct misperceptions of the normative behaviour of peers in an attempt to change the risky behaviour of a target population