Situational explanations of resistance to social influence

Question 1

resistance to social influence - Milgram + Asch’s study

Answer 1

Milgram’s study = only 65% of parts obeyed
Asch’s study = only 75% of parts obeyed
= people managed to resist the pressure to conform or obey

Question 2

social support theory

Answer 2

• situational explanation
• see ALLY or DISOBEDIENT ROLE MODEL
• when one person refuses to conform/ obey
  = more people are more likely to resist social influence
• if they have an ALLY = more likely
• ally breaks the unanimity of the group
  = people think that there are other ways of thinking/ responding
  = makes them feel more confident in their decision to go against majority
• see a DISOBEDIENT ROLE MODEL = refuse to obey
  = rejecting authority figure’s instructions challenges the LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY

Question 3

ads of social support theory

Answer 3

• Milgram’s study - disobedient role model
• Asch’s study - ally

Question 4

disad of social support theory

Answer 4

• in both o.g. versions of Asch + Milgram’s studies
• some parts were able to resist social influence = didn’t conform/ obey
• even though they had no social support
  = social supper is not a complete explanation of resistance to social influence
  = other factors e.g. personality traits, also play a part in whether someone chooses to conform/ obey

Question 5

Milgram’s study - ads of social support theory

Answer 5

• Milgram asked parts to deliver shocks to a confederate, Mr Wallace, when he got a question wrong
• shocks weren’t real, but parts believed they were
• 65% of parts shocked Wallace up to 450V
• HOWEVER, when there was another confederate who acted as a DISOBEDIENT ROLE MODEL + refused to shock mr Wallace
  = only 10% of parts delivered shocks up to 450V

Question 6

Asch’s study - ads of social support theory

Answer 6

• Asch asked parts to say which of 3 ‘test lines’ was the same as the ‘standard line’
• parts were in a group w/ confeds
  = purposefully gave wrong answers each time
  = even though correct answer was obvious
• in33% of trials = parts conformed
• HOWEVER conformity dropped to 5% when one confed acted as an ALLY to the part + gave the right answer