Social Influence: Explanations of resistance to SI Flashcards
What are the 2 explanations of resistance to social influence?
locus of control
social support
What does Locus of Control mean?
the sense of control people feel they have over the things that happen to them
What does it mean to have an external LOC?
What does it mean to have an internal LOC?
e=people believe their behaviour and events are controlled by external forces like luck/fate
i=people believe their actions and behaviour is their own choice and that they have a large amount of personal control over their life
they feel responsible for their actions
What characteristics tend to be present in people with an internal LOC?
5
-they are more likely to resist SI
-tend to be risk takers
-the have greater self confidence
-they have less need for social approval
-they behave independently
Evaluate the locus of control explanation for resistance to SI
1 strength
2 weaknesses
+support research
a meta analysis found a + correlation between internal LOC and resistance to SI which enhances validity of explanation
-contradictory evidence
40 yr period analysis of US obedience studies shows increase in resistance but decrease in internal LOC which challenges the + correlation previously found , suggests explanation lacks temporal validity
-other explanations(social support)
it focuses on individuals characteristics and ignores environment , not complete explanation
How does social support effect likeliness to resist SI and why?
people find it easier to resist if other people are too
it stops people feeling totally isolated and makes them feel more confident in their resistance
What supporting research is there for social support?
2 people
+Asch found that conformity decreased from 33% to 5% in the rebel condition whener 1 confederate gave the right answer
+Milgram found obedience rates decreased to 10% when 2 confederate teachers refused to continue
they both show that social support increases confidence to resist
