Social Support- Resisting Social Influence

Question 1

What is Social Support?

Answer 1

The real or perceived resistance of another individual to social influence, providing others with the confidence to also resist

Question 2

What is an individual who is resisting social influence referred to?

Answer 2

A dissent

Question 3

How does Social Support affect conformity?

Answer 3

It decreases conformity by encouraging more resistance by breaking animosity, in turn making it easier for others to also not conform

Question 4

What does a dissent act as a model for?

Answer 4

Independent behaviour

Question 5

How does Social Support affect obedience?

Answer 5

It reduces obedience, as it encourages more resistance by challenging the legitimacy of authority, in turn making it easier for others to also disobey

Question 6

What studies support the idea that Social Support foster resistance to social influence?

Answer 6

• Asch and Milgram’s Variations, both in which the presence of a “dissenter” caused conformity/obedience rates to drop dramatically
• In Asch’s variation it dropped to 5.5%
• In Milgram’s variation it dropped to 10%

Question 7

What replication of **Asch’s Study ** supports the presence of a dissenter encouraging resistance to social influence?

Answer 7

Allen & Levine’s Replication, in which they introduced a dissenter that wore thick glasses and claimed to have poor eyesight, and found that conformity was still greatly reduced