Resistance to social influence

• List explanations for resistance to social influence

  Locus of control

  Social support
• What is locus of control?

  general concept of locus of control – Rotter (1966)

  people are more likely to resist social influence if they have an internal locus of control

  internal locus of control enables greater personal efficacy, self-confidence

  credit also reference to the opposite external locus of control and the inability to resist social influence.
• What is social support?

  whole societies, (not just individuals) change – essential for full marks

  adopt new attitudes, beliefs or behaviours

  through minority influence processes e.g snowball effect

  examples of change: accepting the earth is round not flat; women’s suffragette movement; gay rights; environmental issues such as increased recycling, reduced smoking in public places.