A03

• Situation matters more than personality
• Resisting isn't easy
• There isn't much research into resistance and independence - it depends on what's being asked to do
• Resisting obedience is harder than resisting conformity
• Strength: Research evidence supports the role of dissenting peers in resisting conformity?


  • Allen and Levine (71): Independence increased with one dissenter in an Asch-type
  • This occurred even if the dissenter wore thick glasses - said he had problems with vision - couldn't judge the line lengths
  • Resistance isn't motivated by following what someone to be free of pressure from the group
• Strength: Supports the role of dissenting peers in resisting obedience?

  • Gamson et al (82): higher levels of rebellion than Milgram did - Gamson's Ps were in groups
  • In Gamson's study 29 out of 33 groups of Ps - (88%) rebelled
  • Shows that peer support is linked to greater resistance
• Strength: Link between LOC and resistance to obedience?

  • Holland (67) repeated Milgram study and measured whether Ps were internals or externals
  • 37% of internals didn't continue to the highest shock level - showed independence - only 23% of externals didn't continue
  • Internals showed greater resistance - support increases the validity of the LOC explanation and our confidence that it can explain resistance
• Limitation: Not all research supports the link between LOC and resistance?

  • Twenge et al (2004): analysed data from American LOC studies over 40 years - 1960-2002: showing people have become more independent but also more external
  • If resistance was linked to internal LOC - would expect people to have become more internal
  • Challenges the link between internal LOC and resistance - rhe results may be due to a hanging society where many things are increasingly outside personal control
• Limitation: Role of LOC in resisting social influence may be exaggerated?

  • Rotter (82) found LOC is only important in new situations - it has little influence in familiar situations where previous experiences are always more important
  • Often overlooked - people who have conformed or obeyed in specific situations in the past are likely to do so again even if they have a high internal LOC
  • Means that LOC is only helpful in explaining a narrow range of new situations ~
• Resisting obedience and conformity isn't easy because situational factors are more responsible for this type of behaviour than personality factors
• Conformity/obedience depends on the behaviour that's being requested - conforming to traffic rules is one thing whereas conforming to anti-social behaviour or obeying an unjust request is another
• What does evidence support?

  The normality these - people who obey and conform aren't abnormal or psychopaths, they're entirely normal and find themselves in situations that make resistance difficult

  The thesis also recognises that people play at least some part in their reactions to social influence