Resistance to Social Influence

Question 1

What are the two explanations of resistance to social influence?

Answer 1

• Social support.
• Locus of control.

Question 2

What is social support?

Answer 2

When other individuals in social situations defy attempts to make they conform and obey, it becomes easier for the individual to resist as the presence of others who dissent creates strong sources of defiance.

Question 3

How does Asch’s (1951) study support social support?

Answer 3

• If the dissenter answered correctly from the start, conformity levels dropped from 32% to 5.5%.
• If the dissenter answered correctly later in the study, conformity levels dropped to 8.5%.
• This highlighted how social support recieved earlier is more effective than support recieved later.

Question 4

How does Milgram’s (1963) study support social support?

Answer 4

When two confederates who were paired with the participants said they wouldn’t continue only 10% of participants gave the maximum voltage.

Question 5

What is locus of control?

Answer 5

The extent to which an individual thinks they’re in control of their own life.

Question 6

What is an internal locus of control?

Answer 6

The belief that things happen as a result of our choice and decisions.

Question 7

What is an external locus of control?

Answer 7

The belief that things happen because of luck, fate or other external forces beyond the control of an individual.

Question 8

What was the purpose of Rotter’s (1966) questionnaire.

Answer 8

To measure internal and external locus of control.

Question 9

What indicated an internal or external locus of control?

Answer 9

• A low score indicates an internal locus of control.
• A high score indicates an external locus of control.

Question 10

How does locus of control affect conformity?

Answer 10

• Spector (1983) found that participants with an external locus of control conformed more than participants with an internal locus of control in situations involving normative social pressure.
• Neither group conformed in situations of informational social influence.
• Highlights that feeling like we don’t need to be accepted into a social group increases our ability to resist social influence.

Question 11

How do cultural differences affect locus of control?

Answer 11

• Moghaddam (1998) found that Japanese people conform more than Americans and have a more external locus of control.
• Highlights that cultural differences in conformity can be explained by differences in locus of control.

Question 12

How does locus of control affect obedience?

Answer 12

• Holland and Blass found that those with an internal locus of control were better at resisting obedience.
• They also found that those with an internal locus of control are more able to resist when forced or when they suspect manipulation.