1.4 Explanations of resistance to social influence

Question 1

How does resistance to social influence occur?

Answer 1

Resistance to social influence involves disobedience and non-conformity

Question 2

How does non-conformity occur?

Answer 2

• Independence - involving lack of consistent movement towards/away from social expectancy (i.e. doing your own thanggg)
• Anti-conformity - involving a consistent movement away from social conformity (e.g. adopting behav and norms of min group)

Question 3

What is social support and how can it explain resistance to social influence?

Answer 3

Research suggests when there are others who defy attempts to make them conform and obey it is easier for indiv to resist social influence

With conformity, those who dissent provide a strong source of defiance

Question 4

What is locus of control and how can it explain resistance to social influence?

Answer 4

LoC concerns the extent to which ppl perceive themselves as being in control of their own lives

• Internal LoC - belief things happen as result of own choices & actions
• External LoC - belief things happen as result of luck, fate or uncontrollable forces

Having an int LoC means ppl more likely to resist social pressure - see themselves as in control of situation - believe they have free choice to conform & obey - ext LoC see opposite

Question 5

What is reactance and how can it explain resistance to social influence?

Answer 5

Reactance is where indivs react w rebellious anger when their freedom of choice is restricted

Question 6

What is ironic deviance and how can it explain resistance to social influence?

Answer 6

If the truthfulness of a source of ISI is doubtful, chances of conformity are reduced

Question 7

What is status and how can it explain resistance to social influence?

Answer 7

Indivs resist conformity more easily if they see themselves as high-status figure in a group

Question 8

What support is there for explanations of resistance to social influence?

Answer 8

• Research supports social support increasing resistance to conf - Asch conducted variation where 1 confed instructed to give correct answer throughout = 5.5% conformity - even when confed gave diff answer to maj & Pp, conformity = 9% - shows when maj is broken, people more likely to resist pressure to conform as they have social support
• Research supports social support increasing resistance to obed - M conducted variation where Pp was paired w 2 additional confeds who also played role of teachers - the two additional confeds refused to go on and withdrew from the exp early - in this variation obed dropped from 65% in the original exp to 10% - shows that if Pp has social support for their desire to disobey they are more likely to resist the pressure of an auth figure
• Research supports LoC and res to obed - Holland replicated M’s study and measured whether Pps had int or ext LoC - found 37% of int LoC Pps didn’t continue to highest shock level - only 23% of ext LoC Pps didn’t continue - int LoC Pps showed greater res to authority - increases validity of LoC explanation

Question 9

What reduces support for explanations of resistance to social influence?

Answer 9

• Some research contradicts LoC/res link - Twenge et al analysed data from American obed studies from 1960-2002 - data showed that over this time span ppl have become more res to obed but more ext LoC - contradicts Holland findings and challenges link between int LoC and res