Resistance To Social Influence

Question 1

What are the 2 explanations for resistance to social influence?

Answer 1

• Social support - situational

- Locus of control - dispositional

Question 2

Social support definition

Answer 2

• When someone can resist the pressure to conform or obey because that have an ally (someone supporting their point of view)
• allows people to avoid normative social influence

Question 3

Social Support Limitation

- allen + levine

Answer 3

• impacts majority view - Allen + Levine = more likely to dissent when dissenter is first - earlier judgement confirmed = better - other factors influencing social support affect

-

Question 4

Social support Strength

-gamson

Answer 4

-Gamson et al (1982) - participants produced evidence to help an oil company smear campaign - found higher resistance compared to milgram (88% rebelled) - maybe due to participant groups for gamson - peer support = greater resistance

Question 5

Locus of control definition

Answer 5

The degree of control an individual feels they have over there own life and is measured on a continuum from interns to external.

Question 6

What do internals believe?

Answer 6

The things that happen to them are largely controlled by themselves.

Question 7

What do externals believe?

Answer 7

The things that happen to them are outside of their control.

Question 8

Why are internals more likely to resist social influence?

Answer 8

• they take personal responsibility for their actions and base their decisions on their own beliefs
• more self confident meaning less need for social approval which leads to greater resistance

Question 9

Locus of control strength

- holland (1967)

Answer 9

-Holland (1967) - repeat Milgram = 37% internals + 23% externals didn’t go to highest shock - internals = greater authority resistance as feel more responsibility for injury

Question 10

Locus of Control Limitation

• rotter (1982)
• twenge et al (2004)

Answer 10

• LoC exaggerated - Rotter (1982) - LoC little influence in familiar situations - LoC only explain some views - internal LoC + conformed in past = likely to do so again
• Twenge et al (2004) - analysed American LoC study data over 40 years - Americans more independent - challenges LoC and increasing resistance as not suggesting less resistance is due to more internal people - independence due to society not LoC