Explanations of resistance to social influence

• What is one situational factor that affects peoples' resistance to social influence? (3 AO1)

  Social support, it breaks unanimity o the group, reducing normative social influence pressures

  
  

  Having someone else who doesn't conform reduces informational social influence pressures, as they provide alternative source of info, builds confidence to resist

  
  

  Others who resist pressures to obey act as role models, they challenge legitimacy of authority figure so it's easier for others to disobey
• What is one dispositional factor that affects peoples' resistance to social influence? (3 AO1)

  Locus of control, people with high internal locus of control more likely to resist pressures as they take responsibility for their own actions

  
  

  Internal locus of control have less need for social approval, reduces normative social influence pressures

  
  

  More likely to be self-confident as they rely on their own judgements, reduces informational social influence too
• What is one strength of the explanations of resistance to social influence?

  Evidence to support

  
  

  In one Asch variation, confederates disagreed in the line variations and gave the correct answer, conformity then dropped from 32% to 5%

  
  

  In one Milgram variation, two confederates acted as teachers and refused to increase voltage, conformity up to 450v dropped from 65% to 5%

  
  

  Suggests social support influences resistance to conformity and obedience as everything else remained the same as original studies
• What is one limitation of the explanations of resistance to social influence?

  Evidence to oppose

  
  

  German reserve 101 police battalion commander sent orders to kill Jews or be assigned to other tasks

  
  

  Despite an alternative offer, 2% of 500 men took up other tasks but once killing began, it rose to 20%,, overall 80% continued until 1500 Jews had been killed

  
  

  Social support provides incomplete explanation of resistance to social influence, 80% continued to obey killing orders even though there was social support from others who resisted
• What is a second strength of the explanations of resistance to social influence?

  Evidence to support

  
  

  A study found people with a high internal locus of control were less likely to conform than those with a high external locus of control in situations with NSI

  
  

  One study repeated Milgram's baseline study where 37% of internals didn't continue to highest shock but 23% externals did

  
  

  Suggests people with high internal locus of control show resistance in situations of conformity and obedience
• What is a second limitation of the explanations of resistance to social influence?

  Evidence to oppose

  
  

  One study analysed data from American obedience studies over a 40year period

  
  

  It found that over this time span, people became more resistant to obedience yet also more external

  
  

  Locus of control provides incomplete explanation of resistance as we'd expect people to become internal if they became more resistant