Resistance to Social Influence

• Locus of Control


  The feeling of control that people have over their life events, successes and failures. People can have an internal or external locus of control.
• Internal Locus of Control

  Events, successes and failures in there life are their own fault and their responsibility.
• External Locus of Control

  Events, successes and failures in their life are caused by factors outside of their control, such as fate and luck.
• There are two main factors that create resistance to social influence; social support and the locus of control.
• Social Support

  When there are other people not conforming or obeying, we can resist social influence.
• Resisting Conformity

  In Asch's variation where one confederate didn't conform, they acted as a model of independence.
• Resisting Obedience

  In one of Milgram's variation where the learner disobeyed, the rate of obedience dropped from 65% to 10%. The disobedient confederate acts as a model of dissent who challenged the legitimacy of the authority figure.
• Social Support: Evaluation Points

  • Positive effects of social support: Albrecht
  • Further supporting research: Gamson
• Social Support: Positive Effects of Social Support

  Albrecht et al evaluated 'teen fresh start', an 8 week program that worked to convince pregnant teenagers to resist pressure to smoke. The role of social support was provided as a 'buddy' who encouraged them not to smoke. There was also a control group who didn't have a buddy. They found that those who had a buddy were less likely to smoke compared to those who didn't have a buddy. This shows real world application of the role of social support.
• Social Support: Further Supporting Research

  Gamson et al allocated participants to groups of naive participants and asked them to produce evidence to support an oil company's campaign. They found higher levels of resistance than Milgram did, with 88% of participants rebelling. This shows that social support leads to disobedience of a legitimate authority figure.
• Locus of Control: Evaluation Points

  • Research Support: Holland
  • Contradictory Research: Twenge
• Locus of Control: Research Support (Holland)


  Holland replicated Milgram's study and measured whether participants had an internal or external locus of control. They found that 37% of those with an internal locus of control showed some resistance to social influence, compared to 23% of those with an external locus of control. This shows that those with an internal locus of control are more likely to resist social influence which supports the concept of locus of control and it's application to resistance to social influence, specifically obedience.
• Locus of Control: Contradictory Research (Twenge)

  Twenge conducted a meta-analysis of American LOC studies that took place over 40 years. They found that over time, people became more resistant to social influence, but the number of people with an external locus of control also increased. This suggests that Holland's research is invalid as based on their findings, people with an internal locus of control are more likely to resist social influence, not those with an external LOC. This questions the validity of the LOC as an explanation for resistance to social influence.