Social Influence
Majority and Minority Influence
Outline
Improving Group Effectiveness: Majority
Influence
Majority vs Minority Influence
How do influence processes work?
Improving Group Effectiveness: Dissent
Video Clip: 12 Angry Men
Informational Influence and Improving
Group Effectiveness
Avoid pluralistic ignorance
Share information with group; reduce
uncertainty and ambiguity
Clarify faulty assumptions
Normative Influence and Improving
Group Effectiveness
Use group pressure on deviant members
Use high status members to model and reinforce
new norms
To find out real thoughts, ask privately and
anonymously
Make desired norms clear and specific
The Majority is Powerful
…but What About...
Galileo
Susan B Anthony &
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Martin Luther King Jr.
Majority and Minority Influence
Majority influence:
– Larger group influences smaller subgroup or individuals
Minority influence:
– The individual or smaller group influences the larger
group
Moscovici & Minority Influence
Criticized North American research on
conformity as
– “fashioned and considered from the point of view
of the majority, authority and social control”
He advocated a point of view of
– “the minority, the deviant and social change”
Why the dichotomy between European and
North American scholars?
– Impact of ideology and values on science
Moscovici & Minority Influence
Color Perception Study
(Moscovici and colleagues)
– 6 BLUE slides
– 4 naive subjects, 2
confederates
– Consistent condition
Confederates always said
green
– Inconsistent condition
Confederates said green 24
times and blue 12 times
– Control condition
Groups made up of just
naive subjects
Results
20
15
Percentage
saying
10
GREEN
5
0
Control
Inconsistent Consistent
Minority
Minority
Color Perception Study: Phase Two
Discrimination task
– 16 hues on blue-green spectrum
Results:
– Participants in both experimental groups had lower
threshold for "GREEN“ than those in control
group
Factors Affecting Minority Influence
Investment
Self-interest
Ingroup vs outgroup members
Flexibility and Consistency
Example of Flexibility & Consistency
Nemeth et al (1974)
Experiment similar to Moscovici’s, but the
confederates (Cs) say either green or green-blue
– (all the slides still being blue)
Results:
– If Cs said these at random there was no effect on the
majority
– If Cs said them in a consistent way - green to the
brighter slides and blue-green to the dimmer slides,
there was 21% influence
Minority Influence and Status
Is early conformity important?
– It may earn some ‘status’ with group members
Hollander’s studies on early conformity
–
–
–
–
5 person groups; complex decisional task
Confederate demonstrated early conformity or not
Confederate showed nonconformity
Results:
Minority influence greater when confed. initially conformed
Theory of Idiosyncrasy Credits
(Hollander)
To dissent effectively,
you must first earn the
right by paying
conformity dues called
idiosyncrasy credits.
High status have more
idiosyncrasy credits than
low status
Reconciling Hollander and Moscovici
Different viewpoints:
Hollander: early conformity is good
Moscovici: consistent nonconformity is
important
How Do Influence Processes Work?
Single process model
– Social Impact Theory
Dual process model
– Two processes: Compliance vs Conversion
Social Impact Theory
Latane’s (1981, 1996) theory of dynamic social
impact  social influence is primarily a
function of 3 variables:
1. Strength (status)
2. Immediacy (proximity)
3. Number (how many others are trying to influence
me? how big is my group?)
I = f(SIN)
Compliance vs Conversion
Majorities evoke only public conformity via normative
influence: COMPLIANCE
– Resolve conflict in public but resist change in private because it threatens
self-determination
– Not very thoughtful process; results in changes in overt behavior not
necessarily private attitudes
– Direct influence
Minorities evoke conversion via informational influence :
CONVERSION
– Fear of losing face/appearing deviant in public realm, therefore resolve
conflict in private realm
– Force a systematic processing of information; results in changed attitudes
– Indirect influence
Compliance vs. Conversion
Example study (Nemeth & Wachtler, 1974)
5 person simulated jury
Make award in personal injury case
Confederate argued for low award
Results:
– Direct influence:
Final vote: majority unchanged- gave
big award
– Indirect influence:
On second case gave significantly
smaller awards
Convergent & Divergent Thinking
Exposure to minority:
–
–
–
Attend to more aspects of the situation
More divergent thinking
More likely to detect novel solutions or come to new decisions
Exposure to majority:
–
–
–
–
More stressful
Focus on aspects of the stimuli pertinent to the majority view
More convergent thinking
Tend to adopt proposed solution to neglect of more novel solutions
Implications of Deviance for Enhancing
Group Effectiveness
Encourage the expression of minority viewpoints
Consider earning high status in group before deviating
If low status, calmly and persistently present a
reasonable argument
Avoid the Abilene Paradox
Minority Influence
Video: 12 Angry Men
Small Groups Exercise
Discuss the film clip you just watched. How did
minority influence work? Why do you think the
main character was able to persuade the other 11
jurors?