Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Minority Influence (Evaluation (Research support for flexibility Nemeth…
Minority Influence
Evaluation
Research support for flexibility Nemeth and Brilmayer (1987) provided support for the role of flexibility in a simulated jury situation. When a confederate put forward an alternative view and refused to change his position , this had no effect on other group members. However, a confederate who compromised did exert an influence, but only if they shifted late in negotiations.
The real 'value' of minority influence Nemeth (2010) argues that, as a result of exposure to a minority position people consider more options and make better decisions. This view is supported by Van Dyne and Saavedra (1996), who found that work groups had improved decision quality when exposed to a minority perspective.
Do we really process the minority's message more? Mackie (1987) argues it is the majority who are more likely to create greater message processing. If the majority express a different belief to the one we hold, we consider it carefully to understand why this is the case. People tend not to waste time trying to process why a minority's message is different, so it tends to be less rather than more influential.
A 'tipping point' for commitment Xie et al. (2011) discovered a 'tipping point' where the number of people holding a minority position is sufficient to change majority opinion. They used computer models of social networks, with individuals encountering individuals representing an alternative point of view. The percentage of committed opinion holders necessary to 'tip' the majority into accepting the minority position was just 10%
Minority influence in name only Nemeth (2010) claims it is difficult to convince people of the value of dissent. People accept the principle only on the surface, but they become more irritated by a dissenting view hat persists. This means that the opportunities for innovative thinking associated with minority influence are lost.
-
Key Terms
Commitment: the degree to which members of a minority are dedicated to a position. The greater the perceived commitment, the greater the influence.
Consistency: Minority influence is effective provided there is a stability in the expressed position over time and agreement among different members of the minority
Flexibility: A willingness to be flexible and to compromise rather than being rigid when expressing a position
Minority Influence: A form of social influence where members of the majority group change their beliefs or behaviors a a result of their exposure to a persuasive minority.
-