Evaluation

• Research support for social support - Allen and Levine (1971)

  Further development of Asch's study

  Found that conformity reduced when there was a dissenter, even if the dissenter wore thick glasses (implying he couldn't judge the line size properly)
• Research support for Locus of Control - Holland (1967)

  Repeated Milgrams baseline obedience study and measured whether participants were internals or externals

  37% of internals did not continue to the highest shock level

  23% of externals did not continue to the highest shock level
• Research support for Locus of Control - Avtgis (1998)

  Meta-analysis of multiple studies

  Looked at the relationship between locus of control and conformity

  Found a positive correlation (0.37) between external LOC and persuasion

  Showed that externals are more easily persuaded and so it can be implied that internals are less likely to be persuaded, therefore showing higher rates of resistance to social influence
• Contradictory evidence for Locus of Control - Twenge et al (2004)

  Analysed data from American LOC studies over 40 years (1960-2002)

  Results showed that people are becoming more resistant to obedience, but were also more external

  This challenged the link between LOC and resistance to social influence