Resistant 2 Social Influence

• Social Support

  CONFORMITY:

  —In terms of conformity, social support breaks the unanimity of the majority. This raises the possibility that there are other, equally legitimate ways of thinking or responding. The ally acts as a model, and makes the individual feel more confident to follow their own conscience and make their own decision. Therefore, the model frees the person to give their own answer.
• Social Support

  OBEDIENCE:

  —In terms of obedience, a dissenter reduces the unanimity of the group. This makes it easier for others to act independently as they free the individual to act from their own conscience. They may not necessarily copy the dissenter’s behaviour. However, they do demonstrate that disobedience is possible as well as how to do it.
• Locus O f Control


  •The term locus of control refers to a person's perception of personal control over their own behaviour.•It is measured along a dimension of ‘high internal’ to ‘high external’, although most of us would be somewhere between the two extremes.
• •A strong internal locus of control is associated with the belief that we can control events in our life. People with an internal locus of control believe that what happens to them is largely a consequence of their own ability and effort. They are more likely to display independence in thought and behaviour. People high in internality rely less on the opinions of others, which means they are better able to resist social influence.
• •People with an external locus of control tend to believe that what happens to them is determined by external factors, such as the influence of others or luck. They have a sense that things just happen to them and are largely out of their control. People high in externality tend to approach events with a more passive and fatalistic attitude than internals, taking less personal responsibility for their actions and being less likely to display independent behaviour and more likely to accept the influence of others. 
• Internal locus of control

  People with an internal locus of control are more likely to resist social influence
• People with an internal locus of control


  Take personal responsibility for their actions and experiences, so they are more likely to base their decisions on their own beliefs and thus resist pressures from others
• People with an internal locus of control

  • They tend to be more self-confident
  • They tend to be achievement-oriented
  • They have higher intelligence
  • They have less need for social approval
• People with an internal locus of control


  Trust their own beliefs and decisions and thus resist pressures from others
• Achievement-oriented


  People with an internal locus of control are more likely to become leaders than followers