Social Influence: Resistance

Question 1

Psychological reasons why people do not conform or obey

Answer 1

• Social support

- Having an Internal Locus of Control

Question 2

What is the social support explanation?

Answer 2

People are less likely to conform of obey when they have someone who supports them in their refusal to do so

Question 3

Research support for social support in refusal to conform

Answer 3

️Asch: Line study variation with dissenter

• one person answered correctly (opposite to actors) every time
• conformity dropped from 32% to 5.5%
• more likely to conform if there is unanimity against them

️Milgram: variation of shock experiment with actors

• participant paired with 2 actors that refused to carry on
• obedience drooled from 68% to 10%
• suggests people feel more confident in challenging authority

Question 4

What is a locus of control? Internal? External?

Answer 4

How much somebody believes they are in control of events in their own lives.

Internal = when someone takes responsibility for their own behaviour.
and believes that the results of this affects what happens to
them.

External = people believe that what happens to them is down to other
factors, like luck and fate.

Question 5

Evidence linking locus of control to conformity

Answer 5

Shute: Drug laws

• participants with a low Internal Locus were less likely to conform to
  group’s attitudes about drug laws
• suggests internal LOC less likely to comply & be affected by
  Normative S.influence

Question 6

Evidence linking Locus of Control to obedience

Answer 6

Schurz: Milgram with LOC & ultrasound

• people with an internal LOC tended to take more responsibility for
  actions (giving ultrasound bursts not shocks to learner)

Question 7

How is locus of control liked to the Agentic shift?

Answer 7

People with an internal LOC take more responsibility for their
own actions so they are less likely to shift the blame onto someone else

• Internal LOC = LESS likely to go through the agentic shift