Explanation for resistance to social influence

• Identify the two explanations for resistance to social influence.

  The locus of control explanation.

  The social support explanation.
• Outline the locus of control

  LOC refers to how much a person believes they have control over events that happen in their life. It is measured along a continuum with a high internal LOC at one end and a high external LOC at the other. People with an internal LOC view themselves as having control over their own behaviour whereas people with an external LOC believe that their behaviour is controlled by forces outside of their control such as luck or fate.
• Outline locus of control explanation for the resistance to social influence

  This means that people with an internal LOC are more likely to resist social influence. This is because they are more likely to take responsibility for their behaviour and so are more likely to resist pressures to obey unjust orders. People with an internal LOC are also more likely to resist pressures to conform because they view themselves as more of a leader than a follower and are less likely to seek social approval.
• Strength of the locus of control expl. - SE when it comes to resisting conformity

   a meta-analysis of research into the link between locus of control and conformity found that those with an external locus of control were more conformist than those with an internal locus of control. This is a strength because it supports a relationship between an indivldual's locus of control and how conformist they are.
• Limitation of the LOC - contradictory evidence

  a limitation of the locus of control explanation is that there is contradictory evidence. E.g. data from locus of control studies spanning the past several decades have found that people have become more resistant to pressures to obey but have also become more external in their locus of control. This is a limitation because if people have become less obedient, according to this explanation, they should have become more internal in their locus of control. Therefore adds credibility.
• Milgrams obedience research - resistening obedience

   Milgram's obedience research was replicated whilst also measuring where each participant scored on the locus of control continuum. It was found that more people with an internal locus of control disobeyed the experimenter's instructions than people with an external locus of control. This is a strength because it supports the idea that an internal locus of control makes someone less likely to resist pressures to obey.
• Limitation of the LOC contradictory evidence

   a limitation of the locus of control explanation is that there is contradictory evidence. E.g. in the above study, not everybody identified as having an internal locus of control disobeyed (only 37% did). This is a limitation as it suggests that having an internal locus of control is not always sufficient in making people less likely to resist social influence Therefore adds credibility.
• limitation is that the role of an individual's LOC when it comes to resisting social influence has been somewhat exaggerated.

  This is because it has been argued that an individual's LOC only plays a role in new situations. This is a limitation because it suggests it would have little influence over levels of conformity/obedience in familiar situations whereby our previous experiences will be more important. This means that people who have conformed or obeyed in a situation in the past are likely to do so again even if they have a high internal locus of control. questions credibility.
• Social support expl.

  The social support explanation proposes that if there is a person who does not conform or obey, it makes it easier for others to also resist social influence. This is because observing people not conforming/obeying gives others the confidence to do the same. Forms or social support include having a disobedient role model (for resisting obedience) and having an ally {for resisting conformity).
• Social support expl. - resistance to social influence

  Having a disobedient role model gives others the confidence to resist pressures to obey because it challenges the legitimacy of the authority figure. Meanwhile, having an ally gives others the confidence to resist pressures to conform because it breaks the unanimity of the majority. This break in the unanimity of the majority reduces pressures to fit in and so people would be less likely to conform due to normative social influence.
• Strength of the social support expl. - SE resisting conformity

   in Asch's unanimity variation of his original conformity research, conformity rates reduced when one of the confederates gave a different answer to the rest of the majority. This is a strength because it supports the idea that receiving social support can help an individual feel more confident in resisting pressures to conform.
• Limitation of the social support expl. - Contradictory evidence

  E.g. in the above study, not everybody resisted pressures to conform despite having an ally. This is a limitation as it suggests that having social support is not always sufficient in making people less likely to resist conformity Therefore adds credibility. 
•  strength of the social support explanation is that it has received supporting evidence when it comes to resisting obedience.

  E.g. Milgram carried out a variation of his original obedience research whereby the participant was joined by a disobedient confederate (i.e. another person who refused to obey the experimenter's orders). This variation found that obedience rates reduced when the participant was joined by the disobedient role model. This is a strength as it supports the proposal that receiving social support can give people the confidence to also resist social influence.
•  limitation of the social support explanation is that there is contradictory evidence.

  E.g. in the above study, not everybody joined by the disobedient role model resisted the pressure to obey (10% still obeyed to the full amount). This is a limitation as it suggests that having social support is not always sufficient in making people less likely to resist obedience. Therefore adds credibility.
•  limitation - social support has an influence - confederates

  researchers replicated Asch's conformity research but had the ally confederate give the correct answer and then the remaining confederates all give the same wrong answer. The real participant answered last. Other all confederates cave the same wrong answer apart from the confederate at the end who gave the correct answer just before the real participant answered.
• Limitation social support has an influence depending when provided - Found and limits

  It was found that participants were more likely to resist pressures to conform when the non-conforming confederate gave their different answer earlier on. This is a limitation because it suggests that while social support is more effective when it is given early, it is less effective when provided later on and so may not always help others to resist pressures to conform. Therefore questions credibility