resistance to social influence Flashcards
what is resistance to social influence?
the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform the majority or to obey authority.
what is locus of control?
your perception of the control you have over your behaviour.
what does it mean to have a high internal locus of control?
when people believe they have personal control over their lives and the outcomes of their actions.
what does it mean to have a high external locus of control?
when people believe in external factors such as fate, luck or powerful control of others as controlling their lives and the outcomes.
how does internal locus of control link with conformity?
someone with internal locus of control is more likely to resist conformity to group pressure because they believe in their ability to make independent decisions.
how does internal LOC link with obedience?
someone with internal LOC is more likely to resist obeying an authority figure due to their sense of independence, self confidence and personal responsibility for their actions.
give examples of situational factors affecting social influence.
- Asch found that the presence of a non-conformist confederate lowered the conformity.
- Milgrim found obedience levels dropped from 65 to 10 when teacher was joined by another disobedient confederate.
what are strengths of resistance to social influence?
Atgis - there is research evidence supporting the link between locus of control and obedience - conducted meta analysis, those who scored highest on external LOC were more likely to conform.
Oliner and Oliner - research evidence supporting link between LOC and social responsibility.
what are limitations of resistance to social influence?
Rutter - the locus of control is a limited explanation for some cases of obedience.
