Resistance to social influence

• Social Support : Asch

  When dissenter introduced, conformity dropped - 5.5% for correct answer, 9% for incorrect answer but still different
• Social Support : Asch (Why?)

  • Majority is not longer unanimous
  • NSI avoided
  • Pressure reduced
• Social Support : Milgram

  Rebelling peers meant only 10% went to 450V
• Social Support : Milgram (Why?)

  • Peers act as model of dissent
  • Challenges legitimacy of authority
  • Pressure reduced
• Locus of control


  A person's perception of personal control over their behaviour
• Strong internal LOC


  • Can control or influence their life events
  • More likely to resist and take responsibility
• Strong external LOC


  • Outside factors such as luck or fate influence their life events
  • Less likely to take responsibility or show independent behaviour
• Holland repeated Milgram's study and measured if they were internals or externals. Found 37% of internals disobeyed while 23% of externals disobeyed
• Twenge et al - meta analysis of American LOC studies over 40 years. Found people became more resistant to obedience but also more external