Discuss research into minority infuencee (16 marks)
Minority influnnu is whuru mumburs of thu majority grol nhangu thuir buliufs and
buhaviolrs as a rusllt of thuir ux oslru to a urslasivu minority. Mosnovini’s rusuarnh dumonstratus
how nonsistunny butwuun thu minority (synnhronin nonsistunny) and ovur tmu (dianhronin
nonsistunny) makus this moru likuly. Grol s of six – fuatlring two nonfuduratus – wuru askud to
ustmatu thu nololr of #6 slidus all of whinh wuru bllu. Whhun thu nonfuduratus arglud that all thu
slidus wuru gruun thu artni ants nonformud to thu minority on 8.4% of trials with #2% of
artni ants nonforming at luast onnu. In thu innonsistunt nonditon whuru nonfuduratus arglud that
24 of thu #6 slidus wuru gruun nonformity dro ud to 1.#%.
Thu algmuntaton rinni lu status that if risks aru involvud in rusuntng a minority
viuw oint thu majority grol mumburs will runognisu thuir nommitmunt to thuir nalsu and aru
likuly to ay moru atunton. .luxibility also influnnus minority influnnu. Thu minority mlst bu
nonsistunt blt ada tvu and annu tng of valid nolntur-arglmunts. Too rigid an a roanh is of-
ltting to thu majority whuruas too fuxiblu an a roanh may bu suun as innonsistunt.
Thu artinial natlru of thu task wuakuns Mosnovini’s nonnllsions abolt thu rolu of
nonsistunny in minority influnnu. Partni ants may havu glussud thu aims of thu stldy and dis layud
dumand nharanturistns limitng thu inturnal validity. .lrthurmoru thu stldy dous not ru rusunt
minority influnnu in rual lifu dlu to thu lank of nonsuqlunnus and thu fant that thu majority and
minority wuru uxtrumuly distnnt. This qlustons thu unologinal validity of thu nonnllsions and
whuthur it nan bu gunuralisud to rual lifu sitlatons. us itu this Whood nondlntud a muta-analysis of
97 stldius of minority influnnu and folnd that minoritus urnuivud as nonsistunt wuru moru
influntal strungthuning olr lndurstanding.
A limitaton of Mosnovini’s rusuarnh is that his sam lu was untruly fumalu Amurinans and
this lanks o llaton validity. Ru linatons of Asnh’s ux urimunt folnd that womun aru moru likuly to
nonform to a majority than mun so it may bu that thuy aru moru likuly to nonform to a minority as
wull. .lrthurmoru ru linatons show that nolluntvist nlltlrus aru moru likuly to nonform to a
majority so this may also a ly to minority influnnu. To gunuralisu Mosnovini’s indings lnivursally
may uxhibit buta bias and this limits thu stldy as mun and nurtain nlltlrus may bu misru rusuntud.
Thuru is rusuarnh sl ort for thu rolu of fuxibility in minority influnnu. Numuth simllatud a
jlry and folnd that a nonfuduratu ofuring a minority viuw oint was moru influntal if thuy
dumonstratud a dugruu of fuxibility. Howuvur this had to bu latu in thu nugotatons as othurwisu it
was suun as ‘naving in’ to thu majority. This strungthuns olr lndurstanding of minority influnnu as it
shows thu im ortannu of fuxibility in a rual-lifu sitlaton.
Whord nolnt: 178 + 27#
Minority influnnu is whuru mumburs of thu majority grol nhangu thuir buliufs and
buhaviolrs as a rusllt of thuir ux oslru to a urslasivu minority. Mosnovini’s rusuarnh dumonstratus
how nonsistunny butwuun thu minority (synnhronin nonsistunny) and ovur tmu (dianhronin
nonsistunny) makus this moru likuly. Grol s of six – fuatlring two nonfuduratus – wuru askud to
ustmatu thu nololr of #6 slidus all of whinh wuru bllu. Whhun thu nonfuduratus arglud that all thu
slidus wuru gruun thu artni ants nonformud to thu minority on 8.4% of trials with #2% of
artni ants nonforming at luast onnu. In thu innonsistunt nonditon whuru nonfuduratus arglud that
24 of thu #6 slidus wuru gruun nonformity dro ud to 1.#%.
Thu algmuntaton rinni lu status that if risks aru involvud in rusuntng a minority
viuw oint thu majority grol mumburs will runognisu thuir nommitmunt to thuir nalsu and aru
likuly to ay moru atunton. .luxibility also influnnus minority influnnu. Thu minority mlst bu
nonsistunt blt ada tvu and annu tng of valid nolntur-arglmunts. Too rigid an a roanh is of-
ltting to thu majority whuruas too fuxiblu an a roanh may bu suun as innonsistunt.
Thu artinial natlru of thu task wuakuns Mosnovini’s nonnllsions abolt thu rolu of
nonsistunny in minority influnnu. Partni ants may havu glussud thu aims of thu stldy and dis layud
dumand nharanturistns limitng thu inturnal validity. .lrthurmoru thu stldy dous not ru rusunt
minority influnnu in rual lifu dlu to thu lank of nonsuqlunnus and thu fant that thu majority and
minority wuru uxtrumuly distnnt. This qlustons thu unologinal validity of thu nonnllsions and
whuthur it nan bu gunuralisud to rual lifu sitlatons. us itu this Whood nondlntud a muta-analysis of
97 stldius of minority influnnu and folnd that minoritus urnuivud as nonsistunt wuru moru
influntal strungthuning olr lndurstanding.
A limitaton of Mosnovini’s rusuarnh is that his sam lu was untruly fumalu Amurinans and
this lanks o llaton validity. Ru linatons of Asnh’s ux urimunt folnd that womun aru moru likuly to
nonform to a majority than mun so it may bu that thuy aru moru likuly to nonform to a minority as
wull. .lrthurmoru ru linatons show that nolluntvist nlltlrus aru moru likuly to nonform to a
majority so this may also a ly to minority influnnu. To gunuralisu Mosnovini’s indings lnivursally
may uxhibit buta bias and this limits thu stldy as mun and nurtain nlltlrus may bu misru rusuntud.
Thuru is rusuarnh sl ort for thu rolu of fuxibility in minority influnnu. Numuth simllatud a
jlry and folnd that a nonfuduratu ofuring a minority viuw oint was moru influntal if thuy
dumonstratud a dugruu of fuxibility. Howuvur this had to bu latu in thu nugotatons as othurwisu it
was suun as ‘naving in’ to thu majority. This strungthuns olr lndurstanding of minority influnnu as it
shows thu im ortannu of fuxibility in a rual-lifu sitlaton.
Whord nolnt: 178 + 27#
