Explanations for resistance to social influence.

Question 1

what are the 2 explanations of resistance to social influence?

Answer 1

• social support.

- locus of control.

Question 2

What is social support?

Answer 2

• the perception that the individual has assistance and solidarity available from others and they are part of a supportive network.

Question 3

Give evidence of social support.

Answer 3

-2 bogus teachers in Milgram’s study lead to obedience of 10% that carried on to 450V.

Question 4

Evaluate social support.

Answer 4

+breaks the unanimous position of the majority.
+presence of an ally helps the individual feel more confident about their decision.
+Real life application: the Rosenstrasse protest 1943 where women successfully demonstrated for the release of their Jewish partners, facing the rifles of Gestapo. The presence of group resistance gave the protesters courage to resist the orders of authority.

Question 5

What is locus of control?

Answer 5

This concept (Rotter 1966) means the extent to which people believe that they are in control of their lives. It is measured along a scale from high internal’ to ‘high external’.

Question 6

What are the characteristics of people with high internals?

Answer 6

• believe that what happens to them is due to their own abilities and effort.
• independent in behaviour.
• rely on their own opinions as opposed to others.
• less likely to conform.

Question 7

What are the characteristics of people with high externals?

Answer 7

• believe what happens to them is determined by external factors like luck.
• think things ‘just happen’.
• likely to take less personal responsibility for their actions.
• more likely to seek information from others and conform.

Question 8

Evaluate locus of control.

Answer 8

• questions validity as the scale is based on self-report techniques.
• could be criticised for demand characteristics as the questions ask participants about moral tasks and dilemmas.