8. resistance to social influence

what are the explanations of resistance to social influence

1. social support

2. locus of control (LOC)

resistance to social influence meaning

it refers to the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority, or to obey authority

social support meaning

the presence of others who resist pressures to conform or obey which helps others to do the same

they act as models to show others that resistance to social influence is possible

what are the two aspects of social support

1. resisting conformity

2. resisting obedience

resisting conformity

25% of participants did not conform in aschs study

• in aschs research the confederate did not always conform by providing another answer which is wrong as well

• simply the fact someone else is not following the majority is social support as it enables the participant to be free to follow their conscience - they act as a model for independent behaviour

• their dissent gives rise to more dissent as it shows the majority is no longer unanimous

resisting obedience

35% of milgrams participants did not obey

• when the participant was joined by a disobedient confederate the rate of obedience dropped from 65% to 10%

• the persons disobedience acts as a model for dissent which frees the participant to follow their conscience

• the disobedient model challenges the legitimacy of the authority figure making it easier for others to disobey

evaluation of social support as a reason for resistance

• real world research support

• research support for dissenting peers

• depends on situational factors

real world support

• key idea: social support can help people resist social influence

• supporting evidence: Albrecht et al. (2006) found that adolescents aged 14–19 were less likely to smoke if they had a "buddy" to support them in resisting peer pressure

• explanation: this shows social support can reduce conformity and help individuals resist social pressures by providing them with an ally

• application: demonstrates the value of social support as a practical strategy to reduce undesirable social influences, such as peer pressure

research support for dissenting peers

• key idea: dissenting peers reduce obedience and conformity

• supporting evidence: Gamson et al. (1982) asked participants to help in a smear campaign against an oil company manager - 29 out of 33 groups (88%) rebelled, likely due to the ability to discuss dissent with peers

• explanation: having dissenting peers undermines the authority figure’s legitimacy, making resistance more likely

• application: highlights how dissenters in real-world settings can promote resistance, such as in political activism or workplace conflicts

depends on situational factors

• key idea: social support increases resistance but depends on the type of support

• supporting evidence: Allen and Levine (1971) found that participants in an Asch-style conformity task resisted more when a dissenter was present, even if the dissenter wore thick glasses (making their input less credible)

• explanation: this shows that the presence of a dissenter, regardless of their competence, can reduce conformity, but its effect may depend on the dissenter's perceived reliability

• application: suggests that social support is helpful but not universally effective, with its impact depending on situational factors

LOC meaning

it refers to the sense we each have about what directs events in our lives, there are two types:

1. internal - you are mostly responsible for what happens

2. external - it is mainly a matter of luck or outside forces which are responsible for what happens

what is the LOC continuum

• people are not either internal or external - LOC is a scale and individuals vary in their position on it

• high internal LOC is at one end, high external LOC on the other

how does LOC explain resistance to social influence

• people with high internal LOC are more able to resist pressures - they take responsibility for their actions and experiences, and tend to base their decisions on their beliefs rather than others

  OR

• people with a high internal LOC tend to be more self confident, achievement orientated and intelligent - traits which cause greater resistance to social influence

evaluation of LOC for explanations for resistance

• research support

• contradictory research

• limited role

research support

• key idea: internal LOC is linked to greater resistance to social influence

• supporting evidence: Holland (1967) replicated Milgram’s study and found that 37% of people with an internal LOC resisted obedience, compared to only 23% of those with an external LOC

• explanation: internals are more likely to take responsibility for their actions, which leads to greater resistance to authority

• application: LOC can help explain individual differences in resistance, such as why some people are more likely to disobey harmful orders

contradictory research

• key idea: some research suggests the link between LOC and resistance is weak

• supporting evidence: Twenge et al. (2004) found that over a 40-year period (1960–2002), people became more resistant to obedience but also more external in their LOC

• explanation: this contradicts the idea that internal LOC is linked to resistance because resistance increased even though people became less internal

• application: suggests that LOC is not the only factor in resistance and that societal or situational factors may also play a role

limited role of LOC

• key idea: LOC is not the most important factor in resistance to social influence.

• supporting evidence: Rotter (1982) argued that LOC only affects resistance in new or unfamiliar situations, whereas past experiences play a bigger role in familiar settings

• explanation: this means the influence of LOC is limited and situational factors may be more significant in determining resistance

• application: highlights the need to consider multiple factors (eg situational and dispositional) when explaining resistance to social influence