4. MAJORITY VS. MINORITY INFLUENCE
• Majority influence
• Results in compliance rather than conversion
5. MAJORITY VS. MINORITY INFLUENCE
• Minority influence
• Much more difficult & time consuming
• Results in Conversion
6.
7. DEPTH OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE
• Majority Influence
• Normative social influence
• Need to fit in
• Shallow level of compliance
• Minority Influence
• Informational social influence
• Conversion of opinion
• Deep level of Internalisation
8. NEMETH’S 3 KEY BEHAVIOUR STYLES OF THE MINORITY…
• Nemeth (2010)
• 3 Behaviour styles that a persuasive Minority require…
• C C F
9. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 1. Consistency
• When first exposed to a defiant minority, we believe there is an
error
• However, when the minority remain consistent, we begin to
reassess and consider their view
10. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 1. Consistency
• Wood et al (1994)
• Meta-analysis of 97 studies of minority influence
• Minorities consistent in expressing their opinion were the most
influential
11. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 1. Consistency
• Maintaining their belief
• Inconsistency will cause doubt leaving them vulnerable to
exploitation
12. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 2. Commitment
• Uncompromising, consistent commitment to the position
The 3 C’s …
14. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 2. Commitment
• Greater cost associated with affiliation with a minority group…
• Remain committed in the face of a hostile majority.
15. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 3. Flexibility
• Minorities are typically ‘powerless’ compared to the majority
• They must be prepared to negotiate their position
16. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 3. Flexibility
• Minorities who were willing to compromise in their negotiations,
are more influential than rigid minorities.
17. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 3. Flexibility
• But… it needs a balance…
• Too rigid shows narrow-mindedness
• Too flexible shows inconsistency
18. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 3. Flexibility
• Nemeth (1986)
• Experiment based on a mock jury in which 3 ppts and 1
confederate had to decide on the amount of compensation to be
given to a victim of a ski-lift accident.
19. MINORITY INFLUENCE…
• 3. Flexibility
• Nemeth (1986)
• When the confederate (minority) argued for a very low amount and
refused to change his position, he had no effect on the majority
• Yet when he compromised and moved towards the majority, the majority
also compromised.
20. MOSCOVICI ET AL (1969)
• Wanted to test whether participants would conform to a minority
influence.
• 4 naïve ppts and 2 confederates (minority)
• Presented with 36 slides of different shades of blue and were
asked to state the colour of the slide aloud
21. MOSCOVICI ET AL (1969)
• At first, the confederates answered ‘green’ for each of the slides.
(Consistent condition)
• The 2nd part, confederates answered ‘green’ 24/36 times and blue
12 times. (Inconsistent)
22. MOSCOVICI (1969)
• Results
• In condition 1 it was found that the consistent
minority had an effect on the majority (8.42%)
compared to an inconsistent minority (only 1.25%
said green).
• 32% of participants judged the slide to be green
at least once
24. MOSCOVICI (1969)
Ppt’s in the ‘consistent’ condition voted more of their slides as green when in private…
Initial influence was more at a private level than a public level.
