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 an individual is more likely to resist the pressure to conform or obey due to the support of a dissenter, which allows them to act independently.

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.