COGNITIVE RESPONSES TO MINORITY-BASED OR MAJORITY-BASED COMMUNICATIONS - FACTORS THAT UNDERLIE MINORITY INFLUENCE

This study is concerned with reactions aroused when a person encounter s a pro- or counter-attitudinal message presented by a source oi major ity, in-group/minority or out-group/minority status. It is proposed th at these reactions may help explain the pattern of delayed, indirect, attitude change observed in instances of minority influence, and the d irect and immediate changes often found in majority influence. Employi ng a standard attitude change design, the research demonstrates that p articipants exposed to a communication attributed to a minority in-gro up are more prone than those exposed to either a majority or our-group minority to approbate the source's message, elaborate and recall the message's contents, and approbate the communication source. The manner in which this pattern of responses explicates common Findings in the minority influence literature is discussed.