Explanations of resistance to social influence Flashcards
Social Support can help people resist two things what are they?
conformity and obedience
The pressure to conform can be reduced if?
there are other people present who are not conforming e.g in Asch’s research the other person acts as a ‘model’ not conforming which encourages them to not conform. However, Asch’s research showed that if the non-conformer starts to conform again then so will the naive participant. Thus the effect of dissent is not long lasting.
The pressure to obey can be reduced if there is ..?
another person who is seen to disobey. In one of MIlgram’s variations, the rate of obedience dropped from 65% to 10% when the genuine participant was joined by a disobedient confederate.
Define social support
The presence of people who resist pressure to conform or obey can help others to do the same. These people act as a model to show others that resistance to social influence.
Locus of control
Rotter first proposed the concept of locus of control. It is a concept concerned with internal control versus external control. Internals believe they are mostly responsible for what happens to them. Externals believe it is mainly a matter of luck or other outside forces. There is a continuum with high internal LOC at one end and high external LOC at the other end of the continuum
Which type of person is more likely to resist social influence
People who have an internal LOC are more likely to resist pressures to conform or obey.
AO3-Research support
Gamson et al found higher levels of resistance in their study than MIlgram. This was probably because the participants in Gamson’s study were in groups. 88% rebelled showing that peer support is linked to greater resistance/
AO3- research support for LOC
Research evidence supports the link between LOC and resistance to obedience. Holland repeated Milgram’s baseline study and measured whether participants were internals or externals. He found that 36% of internals did not continue to the highest shock level wheres only 23% of externals did not continue. In other words, internals showed greater resistance to authority. Increases validity of the LOC explanation.
AO3- limited role of LOC
The role of LOC in resisting social influence may have been somewhat exaggerated. Rotter points out that LOC only comes to play in novel situations.It has very little influence over our behaviour in familiar situations where our previous experiences will always be more important. This point is overlooked in discussions of LOC and resistance.
