Resistance to social influence Flashcards
Explain resisting conformity in resistance to social influence.
The pressure to conform can be resisted if there are other people present who are not conforming. As we saw in Asch’s research, the confederate who is not conforming may not be giving the right answer. Simply the fact that someone else is not following the majority is social support (the presence of people who resist pressures to conform). It enables the naïve participant to be free to follow their own conscience. The confederate acts as a model of independent behaviour.
Explain resisting obedience in resistance to social influence.
The pressure to obey can be resisted 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. The participant may not follow the disobedience persons behaviour but the point is the other persons disobedience acts as a model. The disobedient model challenges the legitimacy of the authority figure.
Explain locus of control in resistance to social influence.
Rotter proposed locus of control (LOC) as a concept concerned with internal control versus external control. Some people have internal LOC’s and they believe that the things that happen to them are largely controlled by themselves. For example, if you didn’t do well in an exam it is because you didnt work hard enough. Some people have external LOC’s and they tend to believe that things that happen are out of their control. If they failed an exam, they may blame the textbook or bad luck.
What is the LOC continuum?
People are not just either internal or external. LOC is a scale and individuals vary in their position on it.
What does it mean to have an internal locus of control?
They believe that the things that happen to them are largely controlled by themselves. For example, if you didn’t do well in an exam it is because you didnt work hard enough.
What does it mean to have an external locus of control?
They tend to believe that things that happen are out of their control. If they failed an exam, they may blame the textbook or bad luck.
Which locus of control means people are the most likely to resist social influence.
High internal.
Why is a person with a high internal locus of control able to resist pressures to conform or obey?
If a person takes responsibility for their actions and experiences (as internals do) they tend to base their decisions on their own beliefs rather. People with high internal LOC tend to be more self-confident, more achievement-orientated and have higher intelligence. These traits lead to greater resistance to social influence.
Give a strength of resistance to social influence. (Research support).
One strength is research evidence to support the link between locus of control and resistance to obedience. Holland repeated Milgrams baseline study and measured whether participants were internals and externals. He found that 37% of internals did not continue to the highest shock level whereas only 23% of externals did mot continue. In other words, internals showed greater reidstamnce to authority in a Milgram-type situation. This shows resistance is at least partly related to LOC.
Give a strength of resistance to social influence. (Real-world research support).
One strength is research evidence for the positive effects of social support. For example, Albrecht et al evaluated Teen Fresh Start USA, an eight-week programme to help pregnant adolescents aged 14-19 resist peer pressure to smoke. Social support was provided by a slightly older mentor or ‘buddy’. At the end of the programme adolescents who had a ‘buddy’ were significantly less likely to smoke than a control group of participants who did not have a ‘buddy’. This shows that social support can help young people resist social influence as part of intervention in the real world.
What is a limitation of resistance to social influence. (Challenges the link between LOC and resistance).
One limitation is evidence that challenges the link between LOC and resistance. For example, Twenge analysed data from American locus of control studies conducted over a 40 year period and the data showed that over this time span, people became more resistant to obedience but also more external. If resistance is linked to an internal locus of control, we would expect people to have become more internal. This suggests that locus of control is not a valid explanation of how people resist social influence.
What is a limitation of resistance to social influence. (Limited role of LOC).
Many studies show that having an internal LOC is linked with being able to resist social influence. However, Rotter points out that LOC is not necessarily the most important factor in determining whether someone resists social influence. LOC’s role depends on the situation. A person’s LOC only significantly affects their behaviour in new situations. If you have conformed or obeyed in a specific situation in the past, the chances are you will do so again in that situation regardless of wether you have a high internal or high external LOC.
