resistance to social influence

• explanations for resistance to social influence

  locus of control and social support
• locus of control


  person's perception of personal control over their behaviour

  • personality explanation
• internal locus of control

  control events in out life

  resist social influence

  independent in thought and behaviour

  take personal responsibility for actions

  what happens to you is consequences of ability and effort
• external locus of control


  things in our life largely out of our control

  less able to resist social influence

  less likely to be independent

  things just happen to them

  less personal responsibility for actions

  hold fatalist view
• research for locus of control

  high internals - active seekers of information that's useful to them, so less likely to rely on others opinions

  high internals - more achievement orientated and more likely to be leaders

  high internals - better able to resist coercion
• supporting research of high locus of control

  Spector - relationship between LOC and leadership style

  high internals are more persuasive and goal orientated

  
  

  Hutchins and Etsy - simulated prisoner of war camp, internals better resist attempts of interrogator

  more intense pressure shows big difference between performance of internal and externals
• social support


  assistance available from others and they're part of supportive network - act as models to show resistance to social influence is possible
• conformity and social support - asch


  pressure to conform reduced is other people are present not conforming. someone not following majority is enough to enable person to follow own conscience

  non conforming confederate, decrease to 5.5% from 32%
• obedience to social support - milgram


  pressure to obey resisted if another person disobeys, obedience drop to 10% from 65% when genuine participant joined by disobedient confederate

  disobedient act as model and challenges legitimacy of authority figure