Minority Influence
Minority influence: Consistency + Commitment + Flexibility
Consistency
The minority must be consistent in their views. Over time consistency increases the
amount of interest from other people. A consistent minority makes other people start to
rethink their own views.
Synchronic synchrony: the consistency might be agreement between people in the
minority group e.g., they’re all saying the same thing - the group is consistent between all
the members (they have the same views)
Diachronic synchrony: consistency over time – the group do not change their views over
time
Commitment
Sometimes minorities engage in quite extreme activities to draw attention to their view. It
is important that these extreme activities are at some risk to the minorities because this
demonstrates commitment to the cause. Majority group members then pay attention.
‘Wow they must really believe in what they’re saying, perhaps I ought to listen’. This is
known as the augmentation principle.
Flexibility
Nemeth (1986) argued that consistency is not the only important factor in minority
influence as it can be off putting. If someone is repeating the same old arguments and
behaviours again and again it can be seen as being too rigid and dogmatic (expressing
opinions very strongly or positively as if they were facts).
This approach alone is unlikely to gain many converts to the minority position. Instead,
members need to be prepared to adapt their point of view and accept reasonable or
valid counter arguments. The key is to strike a balance between consistency and
flexibility.
The Snowball Effect
- Hearing about something might make you think about it, especially if the other source is
committed, consistent and flexible.
- It is this deeper processing which is important in the process of conversion to a new
, mindset and internalisation.
- Gradually, the minority becomes the majority and change has occurred.
Key study: Moscovici et al (1969)
Moscovici et al (1969) demonstrated minority influence in a study where a group of six
people was asked to view a set of 36 blue coloured slides that varied in intensity.
Participants had to state whether the slides were blue or green.
In each group, there were two confederates who consistently said the slides were
green.
Findings: the participants gave the same wrong answer for 8.42% of the trials, i.e. agreed
with the confederates.
A second group were exposed to an inconsistent minority (they said slides were green 24
times and blue 12 times). The participant only agreed with the confederates for 1.25% of
the trials.
A third control group had no confederates, and all participants had to do was identify the
colour of each slide. They got this wrong on just 0.25% of the trials.
A03
Point Evidence Conclusion
A strength of research into Research evidence Therefore, Wood et al’s
minority influence is that highlights the importance of research increases the
there is supporting consistency in minority credibility of consistency
research for consistency. influence. Moscovici’s and its impact on minority
study illustrated that a influence, as there is
consistent minority opinion empirical evidence to
was the most effective in suggest the role of
changing the views of consistency is not just
others. theoretical but does
Wood et al (1994) carried influence the impact of
out a meta-analysis of minority groups.
almost 100 similar studies
and found that minorities
who were seen as being
consistent were most
influential.
Minority influence: Consistency + Commitment + Flexibility
Consistency
The minority must be consistent in their views. Over time consistency increases the
amount of interest from other people. A consistent minority makes other people start to
rethink their own views.
Synchronic synchrony: the consistency might be agreement between people in the
minority group e.g., they’re all saying the same thing - the group is consistent between all
the members (they have the same views)
Diachronic synchrony: consistency over time – the group do not change their views over
time
Commitment
Sometimes minorities engage in quite extreme activities to draw attention to their view. It
is important that these extreme activities are at some risk to the minorities because this
demonstrates commitment to the cause. Majority group members then pay attention.
‘Wow they must really believe in what they’re saying, perhaps I ought to listen’. This is
known as the augmentation principle.
Flexibility
Nemeth (1986) argued that consistency is not the only important factor in minority
influence as it can be off putting. If someone is repeating the same old arguments and
behaviours again and again it can be seen as being too rigid and dogmatic (expressing
opinions very strongly or positively as if they were facts).
This approach alone is unlikely to gain many converts to the minority position. Instead,
members need to be prepared to adapt their point of view and accept reasonable or
valid counter arguments. The key is to strike a balance between consistency and
flexibility.
The Snowball Effect
- Hearing about something might make you think about it, especially if the other source is
committed, consistent and flexible.
- It is this deeper processing which is important in the process of conversion to a new
, mindset and internalisation.
- Gradually, the minority becomes the majority and change has occurred.
Key study: Moscovici et al (1969)
Moscovici et al (1969) demonstrated minority influence in a study where a group of six
people was asked to view a set of 36 blue coloured slides that varied in intensity.
Participants had to state whether the slides were blue or green.
In each group, there were two confederates who consistently said the slides were
green.
Findings: the participants gave the same wrong answer for 8.42% of the trials, i.e. agreed
with the confederates.
A second group were exposed to an inconsistent minority (they said slides were green 24
times and blue 12 times). The participant only agreed with the confederates for 1.25% of
the trials.
A third control group had no confederates, and all participants had to do was identify the
colour of each slide. They got this wrong on just 0.25% of the trials.
A03
Point Evidence Conclusion
A strength of research into Research evidence Therefore, Wood et al’s
minority influence is that highlights the importance of research increases the
there is supporting consistency in minority credibility of consistency
research for consistency. influence. Moscovici’s and its impact on minority
study illustrated that a influence, as there is
consistent minority opinion empirical evidence to
was the most effective in suggest the role of
changing the views of consistency is not just
others. theoretical but does
Wood et al (1994) carried influence the impact of
out a meta-analysis of minority groups.
almost 100 similar studies
and found that minorities
who were seen as being
consistent were most
influential.
