explanations of resistance to social influence

• what is resistance to social influence?

  • resisting conformity - not responding to group norms
  • resisting conformity to social roles - not taking on an assigned social role
  • resisting obedience - refusing to follow the commands of an authority figure
• resisance to SI

  • (asch) average conformity rate 33% = in around 2/3 of trials, ppts resisted conformity
  • 1/4 of ppts never conformed
  • (zimbardo) conformity to role of prisoner + guard = guard behaviour varied - 'good guards' didnt degrade or harass priosners + even did small favours for them
  • (milgram) 65% continued to man shock = 5 ppts (12.5%) stopped at the pint which the learner first objected
• explanations to why we obey:

  1st: authoritarian personality

  2nd: locus of control
• locus of control

  internal locus of control = you control your destiny

  external locus of control = others control your destiny

  high score = internal

  low score = external
• internal locus characteristics

  • what happens to me is a consequence of my own ability + effort
  • i control what happens in my life
  • i take responsibilty for my actions
  • i rely less on the opinions of others
• external locus characteristics

  • what happens to me is a consequence of the influence of others or luck
  • things 'just happen to me' + are out of my control
  • i take responisibility for my actions
  • i rely more on the opinion of others
• how internal locus links to resisting SI

  • independent thinkers
  • better able to resist SI because they rely less on others' opinions + are active seekers of information for themselves
  • more achievement + goal orientated and are more likely to be leaders than following ohters
• how external locus links to resisting SI

  • more passive
  • less able to resist SI because they rely more on the opinion of others + accept their influence
  • they believe events are out of their control and so are more likely to be followers
• social support + resisting conformity

  • in asch's study, the presence of an ally caused conformity levels to drop sharply, from 33% to 5.5% because of social support
  • supporters + dissenters likely effective in reducing conformity because they break the unanimity of majority + raise the possibility that there are other equally legitimate ways of thinking + responding
  • presence of an ally = higher confidence + able to standup
• social support + resisting obedience

  • research shows individuals who are confident in their ability, able to resist temptation to obey IF they can find an ally who is willing to join them in opposing the authority figure
  • disobedient peers therefore act as role models on which individual can model own behaviour
  • in milgram's ppt was one of a team of three tesing learner. other two were confederates who, one after another, refused to continue shockinig learner + withdrew
  • their defiance had a liberating influence on real participants, with only 10% continuing to max 450V shock level