Psychology - Social Influence - Resistance to social influence

Question 1

Social support

Answer 1

Explanation of resistance to social influence, when someone has an ally supporting their point of view. supported by research (Allen and Levine (1971))

Question 2

How does social support allow avoidance of normative social influence?

Answer 2

They have support for their point of view so no longer fear being ridiculed.

Question 3

What does Asch find happens in social support when the dissenter returns to conform?

Answer 3

So does the naive participant meaning the effect may only be short term

Question 4

What percentage of pps didn’t conform in Asch’s 1951 experiments?

Answer 4

0.24

Question 5

In Milgrams 1963 experiment, how many pps did not obey the authority figure and went up to 450 volts?

Answer 5

14/40, 35%

Question 6

In Hoflings experiment how many nurses disobeyed and did not administer the drug?

Answer 6

One nurse

Question 7

In Zimbardo’s prison study how many of the guards resisted the pressure to behave sadistically towards prisoners?

Answer 7

36925

Question 8

Allen and Levine (1971)

Answer 8

Conformity levels dropped in Asch’s line study when there was a dissenter which disagreed with the majority. This was even true in an ‘invalid’ supporter condition where the confederate had difficulty with vision - this shows it is the presence of the supporter not ISI which allows us to resist pressure to conform.

Question 9

Explanations for resistance to social influence

Answer 9

Social support (situational) and locus of control (dispositional)

Question 10

Social support - conformity

Answer 10

The pressure to conform can be reduced if there are other people present who are not conforming.

Question 11

Why does the non conforming person not have to give the right answer?

Answer 11

Because the fact that a person is not conforming allows a person to be free to follow their own conscience

Question 12

What did Asch find in the conformity aspect of social support?

Answer 12

Conformity dropped to 5.5% when correct but 9% if incorrect

Question 13

What did Allen and Levine find in social influence and conformity?

Answer 13

conformity decreased when there was one dissenter in an Asch-type study (even if they had bad eyesight)

Question 14

Social support - obedience

Answer 14

The pressure to obey can be reduced if there is another person who is seen to disobey.

Question 15

How does Milgram’s variations experiments show obedience dropping from social support?

Answer 15

When the real participant was joined by a disobedient confederate the rate of obedience dropped from 65% to 10%. They may not always follow the disobedient person but instead follow their own conscious

Question 16

What is research supporting the role of a disobedient peer in resisting obedience?

Answer 16

(Milgrams variations). Gamson et al (1982)

Question 17

What did Gamson et al (1982) want to look at?

Answer 17

Wanted to set up a situation where pps had to rebel against unjust authority

Question 18

How did Gamson et al (1982) find participants?

Answer 18

They placed an advert in the local news in Michigan asking for volunteers to take part in a paid group discussion on ‘standards of behaviour in the community’.

Question 19

What did the participants who signed up to volunteer in Gamson et al (1982) initially experience?

Answer 19

Asked to attend a group discussion at a local holiday inn. When they arrived they were put into groups of nine and met by a consultant from a fictional HR company called MHRC conducting research into taking legal action against a petrol station manager

Question 20

Why had the petrol station manager been sacked according to the consultant in ‘MHRC’ in Gamson et al (1982)?

Answer 20

Because his lifestyle was offensive to the local community

Question 21

Why had the petrol station manager been sacked according to himself in ‘MHRC’ in Gamson et al (1982).

Answer 21

For speaking out on local TV against high petrol prices

Question 22

After gaining info on the situation in Gamson et al (1982), what did the participants have to do.

Answer 22

Took part in a filmed group discussion about the sacking but became increasingly obvious that their opinions were irrelevant and MHRC wanted them to argue in favour of the sacking and were persuaded by the camera man to do so. Then asked to sign a form so it could be in court

Question 23

What did rebellion against authority involve in Gamson et al (1982)?

Answer 23

Challenging two well established norms - obedience and commitment which were agreed when they said they would take part in the study

Question 24

Of the 33 groups tested by Gamson, how many rebelled and how?

Answer 24

32 by establishing a strong group identity in which the members agrees the demands were unreasonable. 25/33 groups refused to sign the consent form and nine threatened legal action

Question 25

What are the strengths of social support as an explanation of resistance to social influence?

Answer 25

• Research support, Aschs study (reduced to 5.5%) and Milgrams study (reduced to 10%) - Can be applied to real life, in Gamson study there was high ecological validity

Question 26

What are the weaknesses of social support as an explanation of resistance to social influence?

Answer 26

• Not representative as in real life there are larger groups

Question 27

who proposed locus of control?

Answer 27

Julian Rotter (1966)

Question 28

Locus of control

Answer 28

Explanation of resistance to social influence, referring to a persons perception of the degree of personal control they have over their behaviour

Question 29

External locus of control

Answer 29

See their future and actions as resulting from factors outside of their control (luck and fate).

Question 30

Internal locus of control

Answer 30

Feel stronger sense of control over their lives and are active seekers of information and rely on the opinion of others and are more likely to resist social influence.

Question 31

Why are people with an Internal LOC more able to resist pressures to conform or obey?

Answer 31

Because of a person takes responsibility for their actions then they are more likely to base their decisions on their own beliefs so resist pressures

Question 32

What do people with an internal LOC tend to be like?

Answer 32

Self confident, achievement orientated, higher intelligence and less need for social approval

Question 33

Strengths of Locus of control explanation of resistance to social influence

Answer 33

• Research support, Oliner and Oliner (1988), Holland (1967)

Question 34

Oliner and Oliner (1988)

Answer 34

Evidence for locus of control explanation for resistance to social influence

Question 35

which group of people did Oliner and Oliner (1988) look at?

Answer 35

Two groups of non-jewish people who had lived through the holocaust and Nazi Germany comparing 406 people who has protected jews and 126 people who hadn’t.

Question 36

How did Oliner and Oliner (1988) assess LOC?

Answer 36

They found that the group that rescued the Jews had scores demonstrating an internal LOC and these people are more likely to act rather than leave the situation to fate

Question 37

Holland (1967)

Answer 37

Evidence for locus of control explanation for resistance to social influence, repeated Milgram’s baseline study and measured their LOC. 37% of internals didn’t continue to highest shock (resistance) 23% of externals didn’t continue

Question 38

Weaknesses of Locus of control explanation of resistance to social influence

Answer 38

• Conflicting research evidence, Twenge (2004) - Lacks temporal validity due to Rotters questionnaire

Question 39

Twenge et al (2004)

Answer 39

Conflicting research evidence of locus of control explanation for resistance to social influence. used data from American obedience studies from a 40 year period. People have become more resistant to obedience but have a more external locus of control

Question 40

Julian Rotter’s Questionnaire - weaknesses

Answer 40

Made in 1967 and society had different viewpoints than now and may not be relevant to today’s world. lacks temporal validity