Resistance To Social Influence : Social Support / Locus of control Flashcards
What is meant by resistance to social influence?
Factors that make people resist obedience and conformity. These can be seen in all experiments so far such as Asch and Milgram as these show that people did not conform obey just as much as they show people do
What is meant by disobedient models for conformity?
If somebody else in the group agrees with you or disagrees with the group, you are less likely to conform. Asch found that conformity reduced to 5.5% when one of the confederates gave a different answer to the rest of the group, and 9% if the confederate gave the other incorrect answer
What is meant by the disobedient models for obedience?
Resistance is increased when we are in the presence of others that disobey. When we see others refuse to obey we are also more likely not to. In Milgram’s research, the two confederates aiding the teacher both stopped at 210v, and this reduced obedience from 65% to 10%
Describe the Rosentrasse protest
In 1943, Goebels ordered the last round of Jewish men in Berlin prior to movement to concentration camps. These men were married to German women who worked for Nazi Germany so were lowest on hitlist.
Once rounded up, the women then marched and gathered to protest against their capture, to a mass of 200, demanding their husbands back and even chanting anti Nazi propaganda
The officers initially set up machine guns and threatened to shoot, but initially gave in and released the men
What is meant by having an internal locus of control?
Where people perceive themselves to have a greater deal of personal control over their lives, and therefore take more responsibility for it e.g a work promotion. They are less likely to obey or conform
What is meant by having an external locus of control?
This is where people will perceive their behaviour to be caused by external influences e.g if they got a promotion they may say their star sign said they were in good fortune. More likely to obey or conform
Describe Holland (1967)’s research
He replicated Milgram’s experiment and recorded whether they were internals or externals. He found 37% of internals did not continue to the highest shock level whereas 23% of externals didn’t. This could be because internals feel more responsibility and opt not to continue
Outline Milgram (1974)’s research
Noted the background characteristics of participants who took part in the experiment, including age, occupation, marital status and education. He found that less educated individuals were less likely to resist pressures to obey
Strengths of resistance to Social Influence
Research from Holland shows people are more likely to obey if they have an external LOC
Also research from Rossentrause protest and Milgram
Limitations of resistance to Social Influence
Other factors may have a greater role on obedience and determining behaviour
Hard to be sure if somebody is internal or external LOC as it is self report
LOC explanations are mainly based on correlational studies therefore it is difficult to establish cause and effect
