Resistance to Social Influence

A01-Resistance to Social Influence

• This refers to the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority.

• The ability to withstand social pressure is influenced by both situational and dispositional factors.

A01-Social Support

• The presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same.

• These people act as models to show others that resistance to social influence is possible.

  Conformity:

• Conformity is reduced by a dissenting (rebellious) peer.

• The effect is not long lasting.

• Social support breaks the unanimous position of the majority.

Obedience:

• Obedience is reduced by one other dissenting partner.

• The dissenter’s disobedience frees the individual to act from their own conscience.

• Social support – people are more confident to resist obedience if they can find an ally who is willing to join them.

A01-Locus of control

• This refers to the sense we have about what directs events in our lives.

• Rotter (1966) proposed the concept of locus of control

Internal LOC:Internals believe that they are mostly responsible for what happens to them.

External LOC:externals believe that things happen without their own control.

A01- Locus of control

• People with an internal LOC are more likely to be able to resist pressure to conform or obey

• People with high internal LOC are more self-confident, have higher intelligence and less need for social approval. These personality traits lead to greater resistance to social influence, and are also characteristics of leaders,

A03-(LOC) Research Support

• Murphy et al. (2021) investigated social and psychological differences in vaccine-hesitant, vaccine-resistant and vaccine-accepting people in the UK and Ireland. 

  
  

• Internal LOC was higher in vaccine-hesitant and vaccine-resistant people, showing that they were more disobedient. This may be partly explained by the reduced perception of personal risk in people with an internal LOC.

A03- (LOC)Contradictory Research

• Twenge et al (2004) analysed data from American obedience studies over a 40-year period (1960-2002). The data showed that, over this time span, people have become more resistant to obedience, but more external. If resistance were linked to an internal LOC then we would expect people to have become more internal.

A03-Real-World Research Support

• There is research evidence for the positive effects of social support.

  
  

• Albrecht et al. (2006) evaluated ‘Teen Fresh Start USS’, an eight-week programme to help pregnant adolescents aged 14-19 resist peer pressure to smoke. Social support was provided by a slightly older mentor or ‘buddy’. At the end of the programme adolescents who had a ‘buddy’ were significantly less likely to smoke than a control group of participants who did not have a ‘buddy’.

A03-Social Support Explanation

• Allen and Levine (1971) found independence increased with one dissenter in an Asch-type study (64%) compared to when there was no social support (3%). 

• This was true even if the dissenter wore thick glasses and said he had problems with his vision, but was significantly lower (36%). 

• Resistance is not motivated by following what someone else says, but it enables someone to be free of the pressure from the group.