Social Influence: resistance to social influence

Question 1

Explain how more social support results in more resistance

Answer 1

• People find it easier to stand up to authority if they have support from others.
  -> no longer take full responsibility for rebelling.
• Asch found that participants were more likely to resist if one of the confederates agreed.
  -> people more likely to display independence if they have support from others.

Question 2

What is locus of control

Answer 2

• Locus of control: How much personal control you believe you have over other events in life.
  -> people who feel in control of what happens in life are more likely to resist -> a dispositional explanation.

Question 3

What is Rotter’s locus of control test

Answer 3

• Involved paired statements, e.g. misfortune is brought by your own actions.
  -> things that make us unhappy are due to bad luck.
• if you agree with the 1st statement = internal locus of control -> belief what happens results from own actions.
• 2nd statements = external locus of control -> belief that events are caused by external factors, e.g. luck or actions of others.
• People with internal locus of control more likely to resist, vice versa.