2. Social influence and social change
Specification
• The role of social influence processes in
social change.
3. Social influence and social change
• Asch found that a confederate that selected the
correct line when the other confederates
selected an incorrect line helped the true
participant to resist group pressure to conform.
• This shows that when the unanimity of the
majority is broken it is easier to resist group
pressure to conform and can lead to social
change.
4. Social influence and social change
• Asch’s line research shows that the social
process of normative social influence can
produce social change.
• Normative social influence has been used to
produce positive social change in the behaviour
of individuals.
• ‘Most people don’t drink and drive’.
5. Social influence and social change
• Milgram found that a disobedient confederate helped a
participant to resist orders to shock an innocent person
that made a mistake on a memory test.
• This shows that a disobedient role model can help an
individual to disobey unjust laws and lead to social
change.
6. Social influence and social change
• Minority social influence research has found that a
consistent, committed and flexible minority can
influence the majority and lead to social change.
• The snowball effect illustrates how a minority can
produce social change slowly over time through the
process of conversion.
