In Sidney Lumet’s 1957 film Twelve Angry Men, 12 jurors debate the guilt of a youth accused of patricide. Initially, all jurors except one believe the defendant is guilty. The lone juror (Henry Fonda) stands firm, confident, and resolute, eventually persuading the others to change their verdict to not guilty. What type of social influence does this depict?
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Answer: B. Minority influence
Explanation
A consistent, confident minority can influence and shift the majority opinion through persistent persuasion, known as minority influence. In Twelve Angry Men, Henry Fonda stands firm against eleven biased jurors and gradually converts them through logical reasoning. Minority influence demonstrates how unwavering minority dissent can trigger genuine cognitive conversion within a larger group. Social psychologist Serge Moscovici extensively studied minority influence, showing that behavioral consistency is key to sway majorities. Unlike majority influence which often produces mere public compliance, minority influence frequently fosters deep private attitude change. Group dynamics research highlights how courageous individual dissenters can dismantle conformity pressures in judicial settings.
Conformity involves individuals changing their behaviors to match a larger majority group rather than a minority swaying others. Normative influence occurs when people conform to fit in and gain social approval from the surrounding group majority. Informational influence happens when individuals accept information from others as evidence about reality, distinct from persistent minority persuasion.
- Subject
- Psychology
- Category
- Psychology
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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