Resistance to Social Influence

Question 1

What are the 2 explanations to resistance to social influence?

Answer 1

• Social support
• Locus of Control

Question 2

What is Social support?
- Resisting conformity

Answer 2

Social support is when pressure to conform is reduced if other people are not conforming.

Aschs research showed that the dissenter doesn’t have to give the right answer.

Simply someone else not following the majority frees others to follow their own conscience. The dissented acts as a model.

The dissented shows the majority is no longer unanimous.

Question 4

What is Social support?
- Resisting obedience

Answer 4

This is when pressure to obey can be reduced if another person is seen to disobey

Milgrams research - obedient behaviour greatly decreased in the disobedient peer condition ( From 65% to 10% )

The participants may not follow the disobedient peer but the dissenters disobedience frees the participants to act from their own conscience

A disobedient model challenges the legitimacy of the authority figure

Question 6

What is Locus of control?

Answer 6

Rotter (1966) described internal versus external LOC.

Internals believe things that happen to them are largely controlled by themselves, doing bad in an exam because they didn’t work hard enough.

Externals believe that things happen outside their control, if they fail an exam they will say it was due to bad luck or the questions were hard.

Question 7

Who shows greater resistance to social influence?

Answer 7

People with Internal LOC are more likely to resist social pressure to conform or obey.

(1) If someone takes personal responsibility for their actions, they are more likely to base their decisions on their own beliefs.

(2) People with High internal LOC are more confident, more achievement oriented and have higher intelligence: traits that lead to greater resistance

( also traits of a leader who have less need for social approval )

Question 8

What is one strength for resistance to social influence?

Answer 8

One strength is evidence for the role of support in resisting conformity

• in a programme to help pregnant adolescents to resist pressure to smoke, social support was given by an older buddy
• these adolescents were less likely to smoke at the end of the programme than a control group who did not have a buddy
• this shows social support can help young people resist social influence in real world situations

Question 9

What is another strength of resistance to social influence?

Answer 9

Another strength is evidence for the role of support for dissenting peers

• Gamson (1982) groups asked to give evidence for an oil company to use in a smear campaign
• 29 out of 33 groups (88%) rebelled against orders, much higher than in Milgrams studies.
• This shows how supporters can undermine legitimacy of authority and reduce obedience

Question 10

What is one strength of LOC?

Answer 10

One strength is evidence to support the role of LOC in resisting obedience

• Holland (1967) repeated the Milgram study and measure whether participants were internals or externals.
• 37% of internals did not continue to the highest shock level ( Greater resistance). Only 23% of the externals did not continue.
• Therefore resistance partly related to LOC, increasing validity of this explanation of disobedience.

Question 11

What is one limitation of LOC?

Answer 11

One limitation is not all research supports the role of LOC in resistance

• Twenge (2004) analysed data from American LOC studies over 40 years, showing that people have become more independent but also external
• this is surprising, if resistance was linked to internal LOC we would expect more people to have become internal
• therefore LOC may not be a valid explanation of resistance to social influence