Social Influence- Resistance to social influence Flashcards
Resistance to social influence -
Refers to the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority. This ability to withstand social pressure is influenced by both situational and dispositional factors.
Social support -
The presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same. These people act as models to show others that resistance to social influence is possible.
Locus of control (LOC) -
Refers to the sense we each have about what directs events in our lives. Internals believe they are mostly responsible for what happens to them (internal locus of control). Externals believe it is mainly a matter of luck or other outside forces (external locus of control).
How does social support help resist conformity?
Social support reduces the pressure to conform by providing a non-conforming model. In Asch’s research, the presence of even one dissenter enabled participants to follow their own conscience, though the effect diminishes if the dissenter starts conforming again.
How does social support help resist obedience?
Social support reduces obedience by providing a model of disobedience. In Milgram’s variation, obedience dropped from 65% to 10% when a confederate disobeyed, as the participant felt freer to act according to their own conscience.
What did Twenge et al. (2004) find about LOC and resistance over time?
Twenge found that while people have become more resistant to obedience over 40 years, they have also become more external in their LOC, challenging the expected link between internal LOC and resistance.
What is locus of control (LOC)?
Locus of control, proposed by Julian Rotter (1966), refers to whether individuals believe they control their outcomes (internal LOC) or believe outcomes are controlled by external factors like luck or others (external LOC).
What did Gamson et al. (1982) find about resistance to obedience?
Gamson found that 88% of participants rebelled against authority in group settings, demonstrating that peer support significantly increases resistance to obedience.
How does LOC influence resistance to social influence?
People with an internal LOC are more likely to resist conformity and obedience because they take personal responsibility for their actions, rely on their own beliefs, and possess traits like self-confidence and lower need for social approval.
What is the continuum of LOC?
LOC exists on a continuum, with high internal LOC at one end (believing in personal control) and high external LOC at the other (believing in external control), with varying degrees in between.
What did Allen and Levine (1971) find about resistance to conformity?
They found that conformity decreased when a dissenter was present, even if the dissenter had poor vision and couldn’t judge the task accurately, showing that dissent enables individuals to resist group pressure.
What did Holland (1967) find about LOC and resistance to obedience?
Holland found that 37% of internals resisted obeying to the highest shock level in Milgram’s study, compared to only 23% of externals, supporting the link between internal LOC and greater resistance.
Why might Twenge’s findings challenge the LOC explanation?
The findings suggest that societal changes, where many factors are beyond personal control, may explain increased resistance despite a shift toward external LOC, complicating the link between LOC and resistance.
What is a strength of the LOC explanation?
Research, such as Holland’s (1967) study, supports the link between internal LOC and resistance to obedience, increasing the validity of the explanation.
What is a limitation of the LOC explanation?
Twenge’s findings contradict the expected relationship, showing that resistance can increase even as people become more external, suggesting other factors may influence resistance.
