Psychology: Resistance to Social Influence

Question 1

Define the term autonomous

Answer 1

individual free to behave according to their own principles and morals, feel complete responsibility for their actions

Question 2

What is meant by conformity?

Answer 2

type of social influence which involves a change in beliefs or behaviours in order to fit into a group

Question 3

What is an authoritarian personality?

Answer 3

extreme obedience and submission to authority, determined by F-scale and result of harsh parenting

Question 4

Outline what is meant by the Asch Effect

Answer 4

individuals behave either by normative social influence (to be liked) or by informative social influence (to be right)

Question 5

What is majority influence?

Answer 5

when behaviours or beliefs of a larger group is adopted by individuals of a smaller group

Question 6

Define the term obedience

Answer 6

obeying a command and acting in direct response from an authority figure

Question 7

What is a social role?

Answer 7

role in society, behaviour adopted to suit role

Question 8

What are dispositional factors?

Answer 8

individual characteristics and personal differences which impact our beliefs and behaviours

Question 9

How is social support represented in conformity?

Answer 9

-Aschs study -confederates who didn’t conform, conformity levels lower in participants -case when confederates gave answers that deviated from majority response

Question 10

How is social support represented in obedience?

Answer 10

-Milgrams study -obedience decreased when participants paired with disobedient confederate -participants used disobedient confederate as model to copy from -allows autonomy

Question 11

Who devised the locus of control personality test?

Answer 11

Julian Rotter

Question 12

What is locus of control?

Answer 12

a continuum concerned with an individuals internal and external control

Question 13

What do those with an internal locus of control believe?

Answer 13

outcomes are within their control, they determine their own direction through hard work, perseverance, decisions and attributes

Question 14

What do those with an external locus of control believe?

Answer 14

outcomes are outside of their control, they are determined by factors such as fate, other people and external events

Question 15

Why would someone with an internal locus of control be likely to resist social influence?

Answer 15

-internals take complete personal responsibility for actions and experiences -decisions based on own belief system -likely to resist pressures imposed by other individuals

Question 16

How is research by Allen and Levine a strength into social support?

Answer 16

-Asch-like study -conformity decreased with dissenter even in poor position to judge -reiterates theory -more autonomous freedom

Question 17

How is research by Holland a strength to locus of control?

Answer 17

-repeated Milgrams baseline study -measured locus of control
-37% internals showed resistance -23% externals refused to continue
-demonstrates workings of internal locus of control and how it can be a main contributor in social resistance

Question 18

How does research by Twenge et al act as a limitation towards locus of control?

Answer 18

-meta analysis over 40 years -obedience resistance increased, external locus increased -challenges link between internal and resistance