Minority and majority influence in freely interacting groups: Qualitative versus quantitative differences

Minority and Majority Influence on Attitudes

Majority versus minority dynamics: phase transition in an interacting two-state spin system.

We introduce a simple model of opinion dynamics in which binary-state agents evolve due to the influence of agents in a local neighborhood. In a single update step, a fixed-size group is defined and all agents in the group adopt the state of the local majority with probability p or that of the local minority with probability 1-p. For group size G=3, there is a phase transition at p(c)=2/3 in al...

Self-definition, defensive processing, and influence: the normative impact of majority and minority groups.

Past research has found that recipients agree with majority group positions and resist minority group positions on direct measures of influence. The authors suggest that these attitude shifts reflect normative pressures to align with valued majorities and to differentiate from derogated minorities. In support of this idea, participants who considered a majority group relevant to their own self-...

Differential effects of majority and minority influence on argumentation strategies

Confirmatory bias in argumentation—i.e., the tendency to generate arguments that support one’s own claims, rather than rebuttals that challenge alternative standpoints—is a widespread tendency that can be harmful to the quality of argumentation. In the present study we hypothesized that, depending on issue relevance to the targets, majority and minority sources of influence may differentially r...

Quantitative differences, qualitative outcomes

Fruit fly neuroblasts can either self-renew, rest or take on a specialized form, depending on the levels of a protein called Prospero.