Social Influence: Resisting Social Influence

Question 2

What are the 2 explanations to resisting social influence??

Answer 2

• Social support
• Locus of control

Question 3

Why does social support help to resist social influence??

Answer 3

The presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same!

Question 4

What is the research supporting the resistance to conformity??

Answer 4

Asch’s variables:
Conformity reduces with a dissenter who shows that the majority decision is no longer unanimous

Question 5

What is the research supporting the resistance to obedience??

Answer 5

Milgram’s variables:
Obedience decreased from 65% to 10% when ppts were joined by a disobedient confederate.

Dissenter challenges legitimacy of authority and frees ppt to act on their own conscience

Question 6

What are the 2 evaluation points for social support reducing social influence??

Answer 6

• Allen & Levine (1971) - Replicated Asch and conformity decreased even when dissenter wore glasses. 64% resisted with dissenter whereas 3% resisted originally
• Gamson et al (1982) - Created situation where ppts were encouraged to disobey unjust authority. 29/33 rebelled

Question 7

Who came up with the locus of control and when??

Answer 7

Rotter (1966)

Question 8

What is locus of control??

Answer 8

The sense we have about what directs events in our lives & how much control we have over our behaviour

Question 9

What are internal & external LOC??

Answer 9

Internal - Person believes their life is determined by their own decisions and behaviours

External - Person believes their life is determined by fate, luck & external factors

Question 10

What are the 3 evaluation points for Locus of Control??

Answer 10

• Holland (1967)
• Twenge et al (2004)
• Rotter (1982)

Question 11

What did Holland (1967) and Rotter (1982) do to evaluate Locus of Control??

Answer 11

• Holland (1967): Repeated Milgram’s study. 63% of internals and 77% of external went to highest shock
• Rotter (1982): LOC has little influence in experiences situations

Question 12

What did Twenge et al (2004) do to evaluate Locus of Control??

Answer 12

Meta-Analysis of LOC studies over 40 year period (1960-2002).
Found that people have become more resistant to obedience but also become more external