Resistance to SI: Social support

• Resistance to Si - Refers to ability of ppl to withstand the social pressure to conform to majority or obey authority. Influenced by situational and dispositional factors.
• Social Support - Presence of ppl who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do same. Ppl act as models to show others that resistance to SI is possible.
• Resisting conformity - other ppl who are not conforming - Asch's confederate who's not conforming may not be giving the right answer, but simply just not following the majority is social support. Enables naive p free to follow own conscience. Confederate acts as model of independent behaviour. Dissent gives rise to more dissent because it shows majority is no longer unanimous.
• Resisting Obedience - Another person who is seen to disobey. One of Milgram's variations, rate of obedience dropped from 65% to 10% when genuine p was joined by disobedient confederate. P may not follow disobedient person behaviour but point is other persons disobedience acts as a model of dissent for p to copy. This is because disobedient model challenges legitimacy of authority figure making it easier for others to disobey.
• (Conformity): Asch found conformity reduced to 5.5% when one of confederates give diff answer to rest of group. - SS breaks unanimous position of majority.
• (Obedience): Milgram 65%-10% - SS ppl are more confident to resist obedience if they can find an ally who is willing to join them.
• Strength - Real world support:

  • Albrecht et al study supports idea of SS evaluated Teen Fresh Start USA, an eight-week programme, to help pregnant adolescents aged 14-19, resist peer pressure to smoke. SS was provided by a slightly older mentor or 'buddy'. At end of programme, adolescents who had a 'buddy' were significantly less likely to smoke than control group of p's wh didn't have a buddy.
  • Shows that SS can help young ppl resist SI as part of intervention in real world.