social influence -> resistance to social influence Flashcards
(19 cards)
What does resistance to social influence refer to?
The ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority
What is resistance to social influence influenced by?
Both situational and dispositional factors
What are the two explanations of resistance to social influence?
Social support and locus of control
What does social support refer to?
- The presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same
- These people act as models to show others that resistance to social influence is possible
Why does social support increase resistance to social influence?
- Having an ally who supports their point of view can build confidence and allow individuals to remain independent
- Individuals who have support for their point of view no longer fear being ridiculed, allowing them to avoid normative social influence.
What evidence is there of social support helping in resisting conformity?
- Asch’s 1951 variation found that conformity reduced to 5.5% when one of the confederates gave a different answer to the rest of the group
- This was true even when the confederates’ answer was a different wrong answer than the others in the group
- Social support breaks the unanimous position of the authority
- This demonstrates that if the real participant has support for their belief (social support), then they are likely more likely to resist the pressure to conform.
What evidence is there of social support in helping resisting obedience?
- In one of Milgram’s variations, the rate of obedience dropped from 65% to 10% when the genuine participant was joined by a disobedient confederate
- Independent behaviour increased from 45% to 90% in the disobedient peer condition
- Social support - people are more confident to resist obedience if they can find an ally who is willing to support them
- The disobedient model challenges the legitimacy of the authority figure, making it easier for others to disobey
Evaluation: research support for social support increasing resistance to conformity -> strength
- E.g. Allen and Levine (1971) showed that social support can help individuals to resist the influence of a group
- found independence increasing with one dissenter in an Asch-type study
- When the dissenter was someone with apparently good eyesight, 64% of genuine participants refused to conform
- When there was no dissenter at all, only 3% of the participants resisted
- This is a strength because it shows resistance is not motivated by following what someone else says but it enables someone to be free of the pressure from the group, demonstrating social support can increase resistance to social influence
Evaluation: research support for resistance to obedience -> strength
- Gamson et.al (1982) found higher levels of resistance in their study than Milgram
- Probably because his participants were in groups so could discuss what they were told to do
- They had to provide evidence to help an oil company run a ‘smear campaign’
- 29 out of 33 groups of participants (88%) rebelled
- This is a strength because it shows that peer support is linked to greater resistance by undermining the legitimacy of an authority figure
What does locus of control refer to?
The extent to which people believe they have control over their own lives and is concerned with internal control versus external control
Who proposed the locus of control explanation?
Julian Rotter (1966)
What does internal locus of control mean?
Believing that what happens in their life is largely the result of their own behaviour and that they have control over their life
What is characteristic of people with an internal locus of control?
- Are more independent
- Find it easier to resist pressure to conform or obey (greater resistance to social influence)
- more self-confident, more achievement-orientated and have higher intelligence
How do internals experience life?
Taking personal responsibility for their actions and experiences means they tend to base their decisions on their own beliefs rather than depending on the opinions of others
What does an external locus of control mean?
Believing that what happens to someone is controlled by external factors and that they do not have complete control over their life
What is characteristic of people with an external locus of control?
- They are more likely to succumb to pressure to conform or obey
- less likely to show independent behaviour
- dont believe exercise personal control over their lives
What is the locus of control continuum?
There is a continuum with high LOC at one end of the continuum and high external LOC at the other
- LOC is a scale and individuals vary with their position on it
Evaluation: research support for the link between LOC and resistance to obedience -> strength
- Holland (1967) repeated Milgram’s study and measured whether
people were internals or externals - 37% of internals did not continue to the highest shock level, displaying independent behaviour
- Only 23% of externals did not continue
- Strength - internals showed greater resistance which increases the validity of the locus of control explanation and our confidence that it can explain resistance
Evaluation: contradictory research -> limitation
- Not all research supports the link between locus of control and resistance to social influence
- E.g. Twenge et.al (2004) analysed data from American locus of control studies conducted over a forty year period, forming a meta-analysis
- Found that over time, people have become more external in their locus of control but also more resistant to obedience, which is incongruent to Rotter’s original suggestions
- This challenges the established link between internal locus of control and higher resistance, suggesting locus of control is not a valid explanation of how people resist social influence
