Conformity: Resistance To Social Infleunce

Question 1

How can social support help people resist conformity

Answer 1

• pressure to conform can be reduced if there are other people present who are not conforming
• e.g. in Aschs study with the introduction of another dissenter

Question 2

How can social support help people resist obedience

Answer 2

• pressure to obey can be reduced if there is another person who is seen to disobey
• In one of milgrams variations, where a genuine participant was joined by a disobedient confed, obedience rates dropped from 65% to 10%

Question 3

What is locus of control

Answer 3

• rotter proposed the concept of locus of control
• refers to the sense we each have about what directs events in our lives, internals believe they are mostly responsible for what happens to them and externals believe it is a matter of luck/outside forces

Question 4

What is ‘continuum’

Answer 4

• it is not simply a matter of being internal or external
• there is a continuum with a high internal LOC at one end and a high external LOC at the other end of the continuum

Question 5

How does locus of control relate to resistance to social influence

Answer 5

• people with a internal locus of control are more likely to be able to resist pressures to conform/obey
• this makes sense, if a person takes personality responsibility for their actions, they are likely to base their decisions on their own beliefs
• also, people with a high internal LOC tend to be more self confident etc

Question 6

What are the two evaluation points for social support

Answer 6

• research support - in resistance to conformity
• research support - in resistance to obedience

Question 7

Outline ‘research support - in resistance to conformity’ as an evaluation point for social support

Answer 7

• evidence supports the role of dissenting peers in resisting conformity
• Allen and Levine - found conformity decreased when there was one dissenter in an Asch type study
• this occurred even if the confed sated he had difficulty with his vision (so was in no state to judge the lines)

Question 8

Outline ‘research support - in resistance to obedience’ as an evaluation point for social support

Answer 8

-Gamson et al - provided evidence for the role of dissenting peers in resisting obedience
- they found higher levels of resistance in their study than milgram (probably because ppts were in groups)
- 88% rebelled in gamson et als study

Question 9

What are the two evaluation points for locus of control

Answer 9

• research support
• contradictory research

Question 10

Outline ‘research support’ as an evaluation point for locus of control

Answer 10

• evidence supports the relationship between LOC and resistance to obedience
• Holland repeated milgrams original study and measured whether ppts were internals or externals
• 37% internals did not continue to the highest level compared to 23% externals

Question 11

Outline contradictory research ’ as an evaluation point for locus of control

Answer 11

• twenge et al - analysed data from American LOC studies over a 40 year period
• the data showed, over the time span, individuals had become more resistant to obedience but also more external
• this challenges the idea that people with an external LOC will conform