An Informational Influence Perspective on (Non) conformity: Perceived Knowledgeability Increases Expression of Minority Opinions

Abstract

Two studies tested whether perceived knowledgeability, a metacognitive indicator of attitude strength, predicts expression of minority (but not majority) opinions on social/political issues. In Study 1, the tendency for participants in the minority to be slower to report their opinions than participants in the majority was present among those who felt less knowledgeable in their attitudes toward controversial issues, but not among those who felt more knowledgeable. In Study 2, perceived knowledgeability moderated the relationship between minority opinion status on an issue and willingness to discuss an issue with someone who held the opposite opinion as oneself. In both studies, attitude certainty produced similar effects to perceived knowledgeability. Implications for processes of informational versus normative influence in opinion expression and conformity, as well as for the metacognitive model of attitude strength, are discussed.