social change

what is social change?

when whole societies adopt new attitudes and beliefs

examples of social change

fashion change, gay rights

stages of social change via minority influence

1. drawing attention

2. consistency and felxibility

3. deeper processing

4. augmentation principle

5. snowball effect

6. social crypto-amnesia

7. conformity and obedience

what is social crypto-amnesia?

when people are aware a change has happened but do not remember how

lessons from conformity research?

Asch - dissenters make social change more likely

Majority influence and NSI - campaigners can make certain behaviours seem like the norm to force people to conform

lessons from obedience research

disobedient role models make social change more likely - Milgram’s research when a confederate refused to give shocks obedience dropped

Zimbardo’s drift

obedience can be used to make social change, once a small commitment has been made, it becomes more difficult to resist bigger ones, e.g. Milgram’s research started with low shock levels and drifted to the higher ones

Nolan 2008

hung messages on doors of houses in California, Key message - most residents trying to reduce energy usage, control just asked to reduce energy, significant decrease in energy usage for group told ‘most residents’ - conformity to a majority group can lead to social change