Social Influence L10 - 11 (Resistance)

Question 1

What is the situational explanation for obedience and why is this an explanation?

Answer 1

• Social support
• Having an ally builds confidence, allowing them to avoid NSI
• Less likely to obey orders

Question 2

What are the stats for conformity when there were dissenters in Asch’s study?

Answer 2

• If 1 confederate gave correct answer, conformity dropped from 33% to 5.5%
• If 1 confederate gave incorrect answer that was the same as the majority conformity dropped to 9%

Question 3

What are the stats for obedience when there was one disobedient confederate in one of Milgram’s variations?

Answer 3

• 65% to 10%
• Participant may not always follow the disobedient confederate’s behaviour but they will now have a will based on their own conscience

Question 4

List the strengths of social support:

Answer 4

• Research support (Gamson, Fireman and Rytina (1982), Asch (1951) Milgram (1963), Allen and Levine (1971))
• High ecological validity as participants were unaware they were participating in a psychological study
• Strong for explaining group size under 10 people

Question 5

What was Allen and Levine’s study and what was the result?

Answer 5

• Conducted an Asch-type study w/ one dissenter saying they had issues w/vision and thick glasses
• Conformity still decreased, showing that regardless of the validity of the support, it can increase confidence drastically

Question 6

List the procedure of Gamson, Fireman and Rytina’s study

Answer 6

• Advert in local newspaper in Michigan, USA for paid group discussion on standards of behaviour in the community at local Holiday Inn
• Met by consultant from fictional human relations company called MHRC
• Conducting research for oil company taking legal action against a petrol station manager
• Argued that he had been sacked due to his offensive lifestyle
• Manager argued he had been sacked for speaking out on TV against high petrol prices
• Groups of 9 discussed sacking (filmed)
• At number of points, cameraman stopped filming and instructed diff members to argue in favour of oil company
• Asked to sign consent form to show the film in court

Question 7

What were the findings of Gamson’s study?

Answer 7

• Out of 33 grps, 32 rebelled in some way
• Strong grp identity established ‘we don’t want to go on record. All three of us feel the same way’
• In 25 grps, majority refused to sign consent form
• 9 grps threatened legal action against MHRC

Question 8

List the weaknesses of social support:

Answer 8

• Low ecological validity as group sizes in vivo are massive and so one dissenter will not have an influence on the majority

Question 9

Who proposed locus of control and what does it refer to?

Answer 9

• Proposed by Julian Rotter (1966)
• Perception of degree of personal control they have over their behaviour

Question 10

What are people with an external/internal locus of control like?

Answer 10

• External locus –> Future and actions are resulting largely from factors outside their control
• Internal locus –> Strong sense of control over their future and actions so more likely to resist pressure and rely less on opinion of others. They are self-confident and more achievement-oriented

Question 11

List the strengths of the dispositional explanation for resistance:

Answer 11

• Research support
  –> Oliner and Oliner (1988)
  –> Holland (1967)

Question 12

What was Oliner and Oliner’s study and what were the results?

Answer 12

• Interviewed 2 grps of non-Jewish people who had lived through the Holocaust and Nazi Germany
• Compared 406 people who had protected and rescued Jews from the Nazis and 126 who hadn’t
• Those who had had an internal locus of control (and hence resisted)

Question 13

What was Holland’s study and what were the results?

Answer 13

• Repeated Milgram’s baseline study and measured whether participants were internal or external
• 37% of internals did not continue to highest level
• 23% of externals did not continue
• Increases validity of LOC explanation

Question 14

List the weaknesses of LOC:

Answer 14

• Conflicting research evidence
• Lacks temporal validity –> questions whether the questionnaire developed in 1960s is still relevant to today’s world, as society had very different viewpoints then

Question 15

What is the conflicting research evidence for LOC?

Answer 15

• Twenge (2004) analysed data from American obedience studies from 1960 to 2002
• People have become more resistant to obedience but also show a more external LOC
• If resistance was linked to LOC, it would have been expected that people would’ve become more internal