Resistance to social influence

• What are the two explanations for resistance to SI?

  social support and locus of control
• How does social support help to explain resistance to conformity?

  pressure to conform is reduced if other people are not conforming. Asch's research showed that if the dissenter doesn't have the 'right' answer or someone not following the majority allows the others to follow their own conscience. the dissenter acts as a model.
• How long does the resistance effect last?

  Not long. Asch showed that if a non-conforming peer starts conforming so does the naive participant.
• What is a study where resistence to conformity was shown?

  Asch's unanimity variation
• Explain social support for resistance to obey

  the pressure to obey can be reduced if there is another person seen to disobey (social support)., Milgram showed that indpedendent behaviour increase the disobedient peer condition from 35% to 90%. The participant may not follow the dissenters disobedience but frees them to follow their own conscience.
• Who put forward the idea of Locus of Control?

  Julian Rotter (1966)
• What are at the two ends of the LOC scale?

  Internal (they can influence their own life - exams) and external (outside factors eg fate or luck dictate their life)
• Where do most people score on the LOC scale?

  middle
• Is there a continuum?


  Peoples explanations of success and failure isn't simply about internal or external. There is a continuum. high internal and high external at one end and low internal and low external lie in between.
• Are people with internal or external LOC more likely to resist pressures to conform or obey?

  internal.

  If someone takes personal responsibility for their actions and experiences they are more likely to base their decisions on the own beliefs.

  People with high internal LOC are more self confident, more achievement oriented, higher intelligence and less need for social approval. These personality traits lead to greater resistance.
• (+) Which evidence supports the role of a dissenting peer in resisting conformity?

  Allen and Levine (1971) one dissenter increased independence in Asch-like study (even if they said they had poor vision - wore thick glasses.) so couldn't judge line lengths. So resistance isn't motivated by following what someone says but enables them to feel free of pressure.
• (+) What supports the role of dissenting peers in obedience?

  Gamson et al (1982). Found higher levels of independence than Milgram. Participants were in groups. In Gamson's study 29 out of 33 groups rebelled. Showing peer support is linked to greater resistance.
• (+) Who suggested there was a link between LOC and resistance to obedience?

  Holland (1967) who repeated Milgrims study and tested where participants were internals or externals. Internals showed greater resistance - 37% didnt go to full voltage and 23% of external didnt go to full voltage. This increased support for the validity of LOC explanation to resistance.
• (-) What is an example of research which does not support the link between LOC and obedience? limitations


  Twenge et al (2006) analysed American LOC studies over 40 years and found people are becoming more independent but also more external (could also be as a result of changing society). if resistance linked to internal LOC we would have expected people to become more internal.

  Challenges the link between internal LOC and resistance. may be due to things been out of peoples control.
• (-) How might the role of LOC in resisting social influence be exaggerated?

  Rotter (1982) found LOC is only important in new situations little influence if in familiar situations where previous experiences are always more important. if they have conformed in the past they are likely to do so again even if they have high internal LOC. Limitation as only valuble in explaining a narrow range of new situations.