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Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
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When Convergent Thought Improves Performance: Majority Versus Minority Influence

Charlan Nemeth

University of California, Berkeley

Kathleen Mosier

University of California, Berkeley

Cyntia Chiles

University of California, Berkeley

Recent research by Nemeth has suggested that minorities stimulate divergent thought (i.e., consideration of an issue from multiple perspectives) whereas majorities stimulate convergent thought (i.e., a focus on the issue from the perspective of that majority). Results have favored exposure to minority views because, in general divergent thought is conducive to improved performance. The proposition that majorities stimulate convergent thought from their perspective was tested, and it was demonstrated that in some situations majority views improve rather than hinder performance, by means of a task on which convergent thought enhances performance-the Stroop test Shown names of colors printed in inks of other colors, subjects have difficulty ignoring the printed color name. If, as hypothesized, majorities induce convergent thought, then majorities focusing on the color of ink should aid performance. Majorities focusing on the name of the color should hinder performance. Under exposure to minorities focusing on ink and minorities focusing on name, performance should not differ and should fall in between performance in the two majority conditions. The findings offer support for these hypotheses.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 18, No. 2, 139-144 (1992)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167292182004
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This article has been cited by other articles:


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 Pers Soc Psychol BullHome page
H.-P. Erb, G. Bohner, K. Schmilzle, and S. Rank
Beyond Conflict and Discrepancy: Cognitive Bias in Minority and Majority Influence
Pers Soc Psychol Bull, June 1, 1998; 24(6): 620 - 633.
[Abstract]

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 Pers Soc Psychol BullHome page
R. S. Peterson and C. J. Nemeth
Focus Versus Flexibility Majority and Minority Influence Can Both Improve Performance
Pers Soc Psychol Bull, January 1, 1996; 22(1): 14 - 23.
[Abstract] [PDF]