Resistance to social influence

Question 1

definition

Answer 1

the ability to withstand pressure to conform to majority or obey authority, can help others withstand pressure. influenced by situational and dispositional factors.

Question 2

social support

Answer 2

resisting conformity: others who dont conform are present can freely follow their own conscience, acts as a model of independent behaviour, majority is no longer unanimous allows dissent

resisting obedience: another person who disobeys is present, pps may not follow the disobedient behaviour but acts as a model of dissent frees to act from own conscience, disobedient model challenges legitimacy of authority making it easier for others to obey

Question 3

Locus of control

Answer 3

• an individual believes they have control over their own behavior/decisions.
• Rotter proposed LOC as internal and external. Internals feel responsible for their actions and the resulting outcomes are by them, externals believe things are out of their control
• LOC continuum, scale of varying positions high internal high external

Question 4

resistance to social influence

Answer 4

-high internal LOC are able to resist pressures to conform/obey, take responsibility for actions, base decisions on own beliefs, confident intelligent

Question 5

Evaluation (strength) social support & LOC

Answer 5

• research support for positive effects of social support, Asch introduced dissenter disagreed with the group on the line test,providing social support for the pps, decrease in conformity 32% to 5%,important in bringing out independent behaviour.
• research support link between LOC and resistance to obedience, Holland repeated Milgram’s baseline study measured whether pps were internals or externals, 37% of internals refused to continue to the highest shock level, 23% of externals did not continue.

Question 6

Evaluation (weakness)

Answer 6

-contradictory research challenges link LOC and resistance, Twenge et al analysed data from American LOC studies conducted over 40 years, showed people became more resistant to obedience but also more external. confusing, if resistance is linked to LOC we would expect internal