Resistance to social influence

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• Resistance to social influence refers to the ability of individuals to withstand pressure to conform to the majority or obey authority.

• There are two key explanations for this which are social support and locus of control .

• Social support involves having an ally or someone else who also resists pressure. This can make individuals feel more confident in their own decisions.

• In Asch’s conformity study, when just one other person gave the correct answer, conformity dropped from 33% to 5%, showing that even a single dissenter can break the unanimity of the group.

• Similarly, in Milgram’s obedience variation, when participants were placed in a group where two confederates disobeyed the experimenter, the obedience rate fell from 65% to just 10%.

• These findings suggest that social support reduces the pressure to conform or obey by making resistance seem more acceptable and less risky.

• Another explanation is locus of control (LoC), a concept developed by Rotter (1966).

• This refers to how much control a person believes they have over their own behaviour.

• People with an internal Loc believe that they are responsible for their own actions, and therefore are more likely to resist social pressures.

• They tend to be more independent, confident, and achievement-oriented.

• On the other hand, people with an external LoC believe their behaviour is controlled by external forces such as luck, fate, or authority figures, and are more likely to conform or obey.

• Research has shown that people with a high internal LoC are more resistant to both conformity and obedience.

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• There is strong experimental evidence showing that social support increases resistance to conformity.

• In Asch’s conformity study, when a confederate gave the correct answer, conformity dropped from 33% to 5%.

• Also, in Milgram’s variation, obedience dropped from 65% to 10% when participants were paired with two disobedient confederates.

• This shows that people are more likely to resist pressure when they feel they’re not alone — allies reduce the feeling of being judged or isolated.

• These findings support the idea that social support is a powerful tool in resisting social influence.

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• There is also evidence linking internal locus of control with greater resistance to obedience.

• A researcher replicated Milgram’s study and measured participants’ LoC.

• He found that 37% of internals refused to go to the full voltage, compared to only 23% of externals.

• This suggests that internals are more likely to resist orders from an authority figure, as they feel more control over their own decisions.

• This supports Rotter’s theory and gives strong evidence that LoC is a valid explanation of resistance to obedience.

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• However, the link between locus of control and resistance isn’t always consistent.

• A researcher analysed obedience studies over 40 years and found that people have become more external but also more resistant to authority which goes against what the theory predicts.

• This suggests that other factors, like social norms or cultural changes, might play a bigger role than just LoC.

• So while locus of control is useful, it may be too simplistic as the only explanation for resistance.