| Effect of number of majority defectors on minority influence | |
| Author(s): | Russell D. Clark III |
| Abstract: | Two experiments using the Twelve Angry Men (R. Rose, 1954) paradigm were conducted to investigate the effect of the number of majority defectors on the minority. Participants were more influenced by the minority when it acquired majority defectors than when it did not, and the number of majority defectors made a difference. In both experiments, the minority's influence progressively increased from 1 to 2 defectors until the 3rd defector, at which point a ceiling of influence was reached. The results also showed that when the minority could initially acquire only a single defector it had to acquire an additional 5 majority defectors to significantly increase its effectiveness. These results are discussed in the context of B. Latané and S. Wolfe's (1981) social impact theory and S. Tanford and S. Penrod's (1984) social influence model. Implications for group psychotherapy are mentioned. |
| Publication Title: | Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, Vol 3(4) |
| Pub Year: | 1999 |
| Pages: | 303 – 312 |
| URL: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1089-2699.3.4.303 |
| Keywords: | number of majority-to-minority defectors in "12 Angry Men" jury paradigm, minority influence in mock adjudication, college students, adjudication, group dynamics, ingroup outgroup, juries, social influences, minority groups |
Related Publications
| Related publication for Keyword(s): | number of majority-to-minority defectors in "12 Angry Men" jury paradigm, minority influence in mock adjudication, college students, adjudication, group dynamics, ingroup outgroup, juries, social influences, minority groups |