Resistance to Social Influence Flashcards
(9 cards)
Conformity
Social support can help people not conform. Pressure to conform is reduced if other people are present that aren’t conforming.
Obedience
Social support can also resist obedience. Pressure to obey reduced when another person disobeys. This is seen in Milgram’s exp variations when genuine participant was joined by disobedient confederate: obedience rate dropped.
Locus of Control
Concept concerned with internal vs external control. Internals believe that things that happen to them are largely controlled by themselves: if you do badly in exam, you blame it on yourself. Externals believe that things happen without their own control: if you do badly in exam, you had a bad textbook or bad luck.
Continuum
Continuum with high internal LOC on one end & high external on other end with low internal & low external in between.
Resistance to Social Influence
Internal LOC: likely to resist pressures to conform. Makes sense because if they take personal responsibility for good & bad stuff, then they are more likely to base their decisions on own beliefs and thus resist pressures from others. Also they are more self-confident and have higher intelligence so less need for social approval. So greater resistant to social influence.
Strength
Research support for resistance to conformity. Conformity decreased when dissenter was there in Asch exp. Shows that resistance isn’t just motivated by following what someone else says but enable someone to be free of group’s pressure.
Strength (Gamson)
Research support for resistance to obedience. Research evidence that supports role of dissenting peers in resisting obedience. He found higher resistance levels than Milgram. This was due to participants in Gamson’s study were in groups. 29/33 rebelled. Peer support = greater resistance.
Strength (Holland)
Research support for LOC. Repeated Milgram’s exp and measured whether they were internals or externals. Internals showed greater resistance to authority. Increased validity.
Weakness (Twenge)
Contradictory research. Analysed data from American LOC studies over a 40 year period. People have become more external but also resist obedience. This shouldn’t be the case. However it is possible that results are due to a changing society where many things were out of control.
