Resistance to social influence

• Why does social support make people more resistant

  Easier to stand up to authority with social support as they no longer need to take full responsibility
• Aspects of personality influencing independence behaviour:

  Locus of control
• Internal locus of control have stronger sense of self control over their lives
• External locus of control have weaker sense of self control over their lives
• External locus of control conform more easily

  Internal locus of control resist conforming
• How can minority influence be powerful

  • Gaining influence and change the way the majority thinks
  • Majority take on beliefs of a consistent minority
• 3 factors for minority influence to work

  • flexibility
  • consistency
  • commitment
• Moscovici et al (1969) minority influence, Method

  • Lab experiment
  • 192 women (groups of 6)
  • Judged colour of 36 slides
  • All slides blue but brightness varied
  • 2/6 members of group were confederates
• Moscovici et al (1969) minority influence, conditions:

  • Condition 1 confederates called all slides green
  • Condition 2 confederates called 24 slides green (inconsistent)
  • Control used with no confederates
• Moscovici et al (1969) minority influence, results:

  • Control group: 0.25% slides called green
  • Condition 1(consistent) 32% slides called green at least once
  • Condition 2 (inconsistent) 1.25% slides called green
• Moscovici et al (1969) minority influence, conclusion

  • Confederates despite been minority influenced real participants
  • Minority had more influence if they were consistent
• Moscovici et al (1969) minority influence, evaluation


  • Lacked ecological validity --> lab experiment
  • Ps may have felt judging colour of slides was a trivial exercise
  • Ps may acted differently if principles were involved
  • Only carried out on women --> not generalisable to men
• Nemeth et al repeat of Moscovici but asked all Ps to write colours they saw:

  • Confederates always answering green, they had no influence on the participants responses
  • Confederates varying responses had a significant effect on the participant's responses
  • Confederates have most influence if they are consistent and flexible
  • Confederates been rigid were seen as too unrealistic
• Moscovici's convergence theory suggests that majority and minority influence are different processes
• Moscovici convergence theory - Majority influence:

  • Compare behaviour to majority
  • Change behaviour to fit in without considering majority's view
  • Majority influence involves compliance
• Moscovici convergence theory - minority influence:

  • When consistent people examine minority belief
  • Want understand why minority has its belief
  • People may privately accept view
  • Social pressure to conform may mean behaviour doesn't initially change
• Minorities change view when committed:

  • Initially minority view may be seen as wrong as they don't match the norm
  • Show consistency without compromising
  • Create conflict as if the minority are consistent you may consider they might be right
  • If no reason to reject minority view you begin to see things the way the minority does