There is a vacancy for a new psychology professor at a local university. The majority of the faculty on the search committee want to hire Candidate A, but there is a small minority of the faculty who want to hire Candidate B. In which of the following situations is the minority viewpoint most likely to influence the majority viewpoint?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The minority viewpoint is more likely to influence the majority viewpoint when they are from the same department (psychology in this case) and when they initially agreed with the majority but then changed their preference. This is because the minority group members are seen as knowledgeable and informed about the candidates, which may cause the majority to question their own initial preference and consider the alternative candidate.

There Is a Vacancy for a New Psychology Professor at a Local