Transcript Conformity Processes

Minority influence
• Can a minority influence the majority?
• What determines whether they will
succeed?
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• Conformity research suggests that the
majority exerts an important influence
• However, if the majority always wins,
how does society ever change?
Studies of minority influence
• Moscovici et al (1969)
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• A study of minority influence
• Similar to the Asch study, but with a
minority of confederates trying to influence
a majority of real participants
Studies of minority influence
• Smaller effect than majority influence
• Requires consistency
• Affects private attitudes (internalisation) not
just public behaviour (compliance)
• Key process is informational influence
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• Moscovici et al (1969)
• Minority influence is possible but:
Factors in minority influence
• Size of minority
• Spencer & Perrin (1998)
• Consistency of minority
• Confidence of minority
• Nemeth (1973)
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• Moscovici (1971)
Minorities are successful if…
• They share common ground with the
majority
• ‘One of us’ is more influential than ‘one of
them’
• Their beliefs must appear strong
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• They are consistent and confident
Minorities are successful if…
• They are non-dogmatic
• Reasonable people are more influential
• If the majority can ignore them, they will
ignore them
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• They work to draw attention to their
viewpoint
Minority influence processes
• Social Conflict
• Minority dissent produces conflict in society
• People move towards the minority to reduce
conflict
• As some individuals adopt the minority view they
start to influence a greater number of people
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• Snowballing
Minority influence processes
• Social Cryptamnesia
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• By the time the minority view has become
the majority, people have forgotten it was
ever a minority view