resistance to social influence

• how does social support affect conformity?

  the pressure of conforming is reduced if there are other people present who are not conforming
• How does social support affect obedience?

  the pressure to obey can be reduced if there is another person who is seen to disobey
• social support affects conformity and obedience because the 'no-conforming' or 'disobeying' participants act as a model
• research support for social support affecting resistance against conformity

  Researchers found that conformity decreased when there was a dissenter in the Asch-type study even when the dissenter said he struggled with vision. supporting the view that resistance is motivated by feeling free from the pressure of the group
• Research support for social support affecting the resistance to obedience

  Gamson et al found higher levels of resistance in their study than Milgram as their participants were in groups

  29 out of 33 groups rebelled showing that peer support is linked to greater resistance
• Locus of control refers to the extent to which an individual believes that they have control over their own life.
• people with an internal sense of control believe that things that happen to them are largely controlled by themselves
• People with an external locus of control believe that things happen without their own control.
• people differ in the way they explain their successes and failures on a continuum
• people who have an internal LOC are more likely to be able to resist pressures to conform
• why are people with an Internal LOC more likely to be able to resist pressures to conform?

  they take responsibility for their actions and tend to be more self-confident
• What's the research support for LOC?

  Holland repeated Milgram's study and measured whether the participants were internal/external. Found that 37% of internals did not continue whereas 23% of externals did not continue.
• How is there contradictory research for LOC?

  Twenge et al analysed data from American locus of control studies over 40 years showing that people have become more resistant and more external. However, this may be a result of a changing society where many things are out of personal control