Understanding Minority Influence
Minority influence represents a complex social phenomenon where smaller groups can impact majority beliefs and behaviors through specific mechanisms and strategies.
The process relies on three main pillars:
Consistency manifests in two forms: synchronic consistency (agreement within the minority group) and diachronic consistency (maintaining positions over time). This consistency encourages majority members to reconsider their views.
Commitment demonstrates through dedicated actions and sometimes extreme activities, which can strengthen the minority's position through the augmentation principle.
Flexibility balances with consistency, as minorities must show willingness to compromise while maintaining their core positions.
Definition: Minority influence refers to a form of social influence where a minority influences the beliefs and behavior of other people.
Example: The Moscovici et al. (1969) blue/green slide study demonstrated how consistent minority opinions had greater effect on changing majority views compared to inconsistent opinions.
Highlight: The process of change occurs through deeper processing, potentially leading to a snowball effect where increasing numbers convert to the minority position.
Vocabulary: Internalisation refers to the powerful and permanent adoption of minority views.
Research evidence supports these concepts:
- Wood et al. (1994) established consistent views as a minimum requirement for minority influence
- Martin et al. (2003) conducted a meta-analysis of nearly 100 studies, confirming that consistent minorities were most influential
Limitations include:
- Laboratory tasks often lack external validity
- Real-world situations involve more complex power dynamics
- Agreement with consistent minorities remains relatively rare at 8%
- Research findings may have limited application to real-world scenarios
Quote: "Research makes clear distinctions between majority and minority influence, but real-world social influence situations are more complicated."
