Resistance to social influence

Question 1

Situational explanation for resistance to social influence?

Answer 1

Social Support:

Observing others resisting conformity increases an individual’s confidence to resist and provides a disobedient role model.

Breaks unanimity and challenges the legitimacy of authority

e.g. In Asch’s study, the presence of one non-conforming person reduced conformity to 8.7%.

Question 2

Dispositional explanation for resistance to social influence?

Answer 2

Locus of Control (Rotter, 1966):

Internal LOC: Belief that outcomes are controlled by one’s own actions.
External LOC: Belief that outcomes are controlled by external factors.
Elms and Milgram (1966):

Finding: 35% of participants who did not obey in Milgram’s study had a high internal locus of control.

Question 3

Why dispositional factor creates resistance to conformity?

Answer 3

Individuals with an internal LOC take responsibility for their actions, leading them to base decisions on personal beliefs rather than conforming to social pressures.

Typically self-confident, achievement-oriented, more intelligent, and have less need for social approval.

Question 4

Evaluation of Dispositional Explanation for Resistance to Social Influence:

Answer 4

Oversimplification: Reduces complex behavior to two extremes (internal vs. external locus of control), ignoring the complexity of human behavior.

Cultural Bias: Reflects Western values of individualism, limiting its applicability to more collectivist cultures.

Temporal Validity: Most research, including Rotter’s study, was conducted in the 1960s, and its findings may not apply to modern contexts.