Resistance to social influence

• what is a Locus of Control?


  it refers to the sense we each have about what directs events in out lives. Internals believe they are mostly responsible for what happens to them (internal locus of control) while external believe it is mainly a matter of luck or other outside forces (external locus of control)
• what can help a person resist conformity?


  Someone providing social support, for example, by not following the majority. This was seen in Asch's research, when a dissenting participant was introduced, this enabled the naive participant to be free and follow their own conscience. The confederate acted as a model of independent behaviour. The dissent gives rise to more dissent as the majority is no longer unanimous.
• what can help a person disobey?

  The pressure to disobey can be resisted if someone else is seen to disobey. In Milgram's study, obedience dropped to 10% when the genuine participant was joined by a disobedient confederate. Even if the participant does not follows the other person's disobedient behaviour, they act as a model for the participant to copy which frees him to act from his own conscience. The disobedient model challenges the legitimacy of the authority figure, making it easier for others to disobey
• Who came up with 'locus of control' and what does it show?


  Julian Rotter. It shows whether individuals attribute outcomes to internal factors (internal locus of control) or external factors (external locus of control). Internals tend to believe the things that happen are outside of their control whereas external put the blame on themselves.
• What is the LOC continuum?


  A person is not just internal or external. The LOC is a scale and individuals may vary in their position on it.
• How does LOC affect social influence?


  People with a high internal LOC are more able to resist pressures to conform or obey as they take more responsibility for their actions and experiences, therefore base their decisions on their own beliefs.

  Another explanation is that people with high internal LOC tend to be more self-confiden, achievement-orientated and intelligent. These traits lead to a greater resistance to social influence, and are also charactersitics of leaders, who have less need for approval than followers
• give research support for social support

  Albrecht et al. evaluated the Teen Fresh Start USA programme and found that social support was provided by the older mentor or 'buddy', and those who had a 'buddy' were less likely to smoke.

  Allen and Levine showed social support helps resist the influence of a group. In an Asch-like task, when a dissenter who was said to have good vision was introduced, 64% of the genuine participants refused to conform. When there was no supporter, resistance was 3%.
• give research evidence that contradicts social support 


  In Allen and Levine's study, when the dissenter had clearly poor vision - thick glasses- resistance was at 36. This shows social support is more complex and does not always help.
• Give research support for dissenting peers

  Gamson's participants were told to produce evidence (in groups) that would help an oil company run a smear campaign. Resistance was much higher than in Milgram's study, probably because the participants were in groups so could discuss what they should do. 88% of the groups rebelled against their orders. This shows that peer support can lead to disobedience by undermining the legitimacy of an authority figure.
• give research support for LOC 


  Holland recreated Milgram's study and found that 37% of internals resisted the pressure to obey while only 23% of externals resisted. This shows that resistance is at least partly related to LOC, which increases the validity of LOC as an explanation of disobedience.
• give research that contradicts LOC 


  Twenge et al. analysed data from American LOC studies conducted over a 40-year period and found that over this time span people became more resistant to obedience but also more external. This is surprising since if resistance is linked to internal LOC, then we would expect people to have become more internal. This challenges the link between LOC and resistance, suggesting that LOC is not a valid explanation of how people resist social influence
• How is the role of LOC limited?


  Rotter suggests that LOC isn't necessarily the most important factor determining whether someone resists social influence as its roll depends on the situation. A person's LOC only significantly affects their behaviour in new situations. If you have obeyed/ conformed in a specific situation in the past, you are likely to do so again in the future, regardless of whether you have high internal or external LOC