Social Influence and Persuasion

Yes. When actions and beliefs clash, people often change the belief. This tension is called cognitive dissonance. People want to feel consistent, so they adjust one side.

What did the classic experiment show?

In 1959, Festinger and Carlsmith asked students to do a dull task. Each student then told the next waiting student that the task was fun. Some were paid one dollar for this. Others were paid twenty dollars.

The task was rated from −5 (dull) to +5 (enjoyable). The one-dollar group rated it +1.35 on average. That was well above the control group. A small reward gave the students little reason for their words. So they changed their opinion instead.

Why does this matter in public life?

An official who defends a policy in public may come to believe it. Behaviour can lead attitude, not only follow it.

Compliance means outwardly agreeing with a request, without necessarily changing private belief. Obedience means following a direct order from an authority. In compliance the pressure comes from a peer or request. In obedience it comes from a command.

What did Milgram find?

In 1963, Milgram told volunteers to give electric shocks to a victim whenever he answered wrongly. The experimenter wore a grey technician’s coat.

Of 40 volunteers, 26 obeyed fully. They gave the highest shock on the generator. 14 broke off at some point after the victim protested.

What does this teach civil servants?

Authority can override personal conscience. A clear chain of command is useful. It also needs room for a person to refuse an unlawful order.

People often go along with a group to avoid standing out. This is conformity. It can happen even when the group is clearly wrong.

What did Asch show?

Asch showed people lines of different lengths. A unanimous majority gave a wrong answer on purpose. The majority distorted one-third of the reported estimates. Errors were under 1 per cent in the control condition.

About one-fourth of the groups (24 per cent) gave errorless estimates. A similar share (27 per cent) gave majority-determined estimates from eight to twelve times.

What is the exam point?

The wrong majority in the study was unanimous. Many answers still stayed independent.

Yes, if the minority stays consistent. Moscovici and Personnaz tested this in 1980. A minority kept calling blue slides green. It influenced both the public and the private answers of the majority.

Why does consistency work?

A steady minority shows a clear view and real commitment. The majority starts to take it seriously. This process is called conversion, because it changes private belief.

Why does it matter for society?

Reformers are often a small group at first. Their persistence is how new ideas spread.

People with moderate self-esteem are the most persuadable. A meta-analysis by Rhodes and Wood in 1992 found this. Recipients of moderate self-esteem were more influenceable than those of low or high esteem.

Why the middle?

Those with low self-esteem find it hard to take in the message. Those with high self-esteem tend not to yield. The middle group both receives the message and can be moved by it.

• Compliance is outward agreement. Obedience is following authority.
• In Milgram’s study, 26 of 40 obeyed fully.
• Even under a unanimous wrong majority, many answers stayed independent.
• A consistent minority can change private belief.
• Moderate self-esteem means most persuadable.
• A small reward leads to more attitude change, not less.

What is the memory hook?

Dissonance: small pay, big change of mind. Obedience: orders. Conformity: crowd. Minority: consistency.