Resistance To Social Influence

Question 1

What does resistance to social influence involve

Answer 1

• involves disobedience and non-conformity

Question 2

2 things that resistance to social influence involve

Answer 2

Locus of control and social support

Question 3

Define Social support

Answer 3

Perception that an individual has assistance and solidarity available from other people

Question 4

Evaluation of social support - Strength

Answer 4

Asch and Milgram

Resistance to conformity:
Conformity levels in Asch’s study decreased if the participant had another confederate who also gave the correct answer.

Resistance to obedience:
Obedience levels in Milgram’s study decreased when the participants saw another participant (confederate) disobeying

Question 5

Further evaluation social support

Answer 5

Allen and Levine
suggests that even social support from someone who is clearly not skilled in the situation is effective in encouraging resistance to conformity, further supporting the power of social support on resistance to social influence

Question 6

Locus of control

Answer 6

Rotter - refers to a persons perception of how much control they have over their own life and behaviour

Question 7

What is loc measured in

Answer 7

A scale of high internal loc to low external loc

Question 8

High internal loc

Answer 8

• see themselves in control of events
• resistant to obedience
• likely to resist conformity

Question 9

High external loc

Answer 9

• See themselves at the mercy of external factors
• likely to be obedient
• likely to conform

Question 10

Evaluation of loc - Strength

Answer 10

LoC and resistance to conformity:
• Shute (1975) found that undergraduates with an internal LoC conformed less to expressing pro-drug attitudes.

LoC and resistance to obedience:
• Jones and Kavanagh (1996) found that participants with a high external LoC were more likely to obey unethical authority figures.

Question 11

Evaluation of loc - weakness

Answer 11

Correlation
Spector (1983) found a correlation between LoC and resistance in situations involving NSI but not in situations involving ISI. This shows that Locus of control is related to resistance to normative but not informational social influence.

Question 12

Gender differences in resistance and in loc

Answer 12

• men have greater internal loc than external providing evidence for gender differences
• eagly suggests women may appear less independent due to the way they have have been socialised. Women are taught to be supportive and agreeable. Socialisation may be influencing both loc and resistance
• suggest that there are gender differences in loc and level to social influence