Resistance to Social Influence

Question 1

what are the explanations for restisting social influence

Answer 1

• social support
• locus of control

Question 2

what is meant by locus of control

Answer 2

It refers to a person’s perception of control over their own behaviour.

Question 3

how is locus of control measured

Answer 3

Rotter 1966 scale
from high internal to high external

Question 4

What is meant by external locus of control

Answer 4

A person believes their behaviour to be caused primarily by fate, luck or other external circumstances.

Question 5

Give an example of external locus of control

Answer 5

you passed the test because the questions were easy

Question 6

What is meant by internal locus of control

Answer 6

A person believes their behaviour to be caused primarily by their own efforts and personal decisions

Question 7

Give an example of internal locus of control

Answer 7

you passed the test because you revised hard.

Question 8

what are the characteristics of external locus of control

Answer 8

• don’t seek information, they are more likely to rely on the opinion of others.
• less interested in achievement more likely to be followers.
• Less able to resist coersion/ intimidation/ bullying.

Question 9

what are the characteristics of internal locus of control

Answer 9

Active seekers of information that is useful to them, less likely to rely on the opinion of others.
More achievement orientated More likely to be leaders and enterpreneurs.
Better able to resist coersion/ intimidation/ bullying.

Question 10

Give 2 pieces of research supporting locus of control as an explanation for resisting social influence

Answer 10

• Oliner and Oliner 1988
• Twenge et al 2004

Question 11

What did Oliner and Oliner 1988 do and what did they find

Answer 11

interviewed people who had hidden Jewish refugees during the war and found that they had a strong internal locus of control.

Question 12

What did Twenge et al 2004 do and what did they find

Answer 12

conducted a meta-analysis on locus of control amongst young Americans who are increasingly becoming more external. They found:
- They believe their lives are controlled by outside forces rather than their own behaviour.
- external locus of control scores are correlated with poor school achievement.
- external locus of control scores correlate with depression.

Question 13

What is a strength of the locus of control explanation for resisting social influence.

Answer 13

a strength is that there is research supporting it such as Holland 1967 who repeated Milgram’s baseline study and measured whether participants were internal or external. 37% of internals didn’t continue to the highest shoch level whereas only 23% of externals stopped before the highest shock level.
Research support of this nature increases the validity of the explanation.

Question 14

What is a weakness of the locus of control explanation for resisting social influence.

Answer 14

Contradictory research
Not all research supports - Twenge et al 2004 analysed data from American locus of control studies. The data showed that over the 40 year period people have become moe reisistant to obedience but also more external.

Question 15

what is meant by social support

Answer 15

some find it easier to resist social influence when they have social support and allies.

Question 16

give some research supporting social support as an explanation for resisting social influence

Answer 16

• Milgram 1960’s
  In the two rebel peers variation, obedience dropped drastically from 65% to 10%. Having the support of others to resist and be independent can impact your ability to do the same.
• Asch 1950’s
  Conformity levels dropped from over 30% to just 5% when participants had an ally in the group who gave wrong answers against the majority. Again showing the power of haing social support

Question 17

why do people resist social influence

Answer 17

• Role models
• Personal experience
• questioning motives

Question 18

Why do role models help people resist social influence

Answer 18

show you an alternative and provide backing for taking a different stance

Question 19

Why do personal experiences help people resist social influence

Answer 19

One participant from Milgram’s study had experienced a concentration camp and refused to shock beyond 210v because she felt responsible for her behaviour and had remembered her personal experiences.

Question 20

Why does questioning motives help people resist social influence

Answer 20

Milgram’s study claimed to be of scientific use - the motives were not questioned hence the high level of obedience.

Question 21

give a strengths of social support as an explanation for resisting social influence

Answer 21

Supported by research
Milgram - when paired with a dissented obedience decreases
Asch - social support leads to more indepenent behaviour

Question 22

give 2 weaknesses of social support as an explanation for resisting social influence

Answer 22

• other factors A weakness of social support theory is that there are other factors that are more likely to influence resistance such as locus of control and personal experience (milgram’s participant). This is a weakness of because it doesnt impact resistance as noticably this means that personal experiences may be a better explanation.
• ineffective/ unnecessary - if the consequences of obedience are too extreme