✔️Explinations of resistance to Social Influence

what’s the first explanation of resistance to social influence?

Locus of control

is LOC situational or dispositional?

dispositional

who proposed explanation 1- locus of control?

Rotter

what are the 2 types of LOC?

• internal

• external

what is an internal LOC?

People who believe they have control over events in their life, tend to be more confident and require less approval from others

what is an external LOC?

people who feel they have little/no control over their lives and often believe in ‘luck’ or ‘fate’, they believe that what happens to them is determined by external factors

Are people with external or internal LOC less likely to conform/obey?

people with internal LOC less likely to conform/obey because they typically take responsibility for their actions and so are more likely to base their decisions on their own personal beliefs and thus resist pressure from others

what personality traits do people with internal LOC have that make them more likely to resist social pressure?

Internals tend to be more confident, more achievement orientated, higher intelligence and less need for social approval

what’s one strength and one weakness of LOC?

Strength- research support (Oliner&Oliner)

Weakness- contradictory evidence (Twenge et al)

how is research support a strength of LOC?- include CA

Oliner&Oliner interviewed 406 people who saved/hid jews from nazis and 126 people who didn’t, they found that the rescuers were more likely to have internal LOC

CA: however, a questionnaire can’t fully explain a persons personality- desirability bias

how is contradictory evidence a weakness for LOC?

Twenge et al conducted meta analysis of studies spanning over 4 decades and found that over time, people have become more external LOC, but also more resistant to obedience

original explanation suggests more external LOC people means more obedient society, but that isn’t the case

Additionally, this research should be more stronger/ more accurate than rotters because Twenge used meta analysis

what’s the second explanation of resistance to social influence?

Social support

Is social support situational or dispositional?

situational

what is social support?

States that people can resist pressure if they have an ally supporting their POV.

Having an ally can build confidence and allow individuals to remain independent because if they have support they no longer fear being ridiculed, allowing them to avoid conforming for this reason (NSI link)

Additionally, if they have ally they find it easier to resist pressure to obey as they have disobedient role model

what are 2 strengths of social support?

• Evidence for resisting conformity- Asch breaking unanimity

• Evidence for resisting obedience- Milgram team of 3 teachers

how is evidence for resisting conformity a strength of social support?

Asch- breaking unanimity variation. Even when confederate gave another wrong answer, conformity dropped (to 9%), simply the fact someone else is not following majority seems to enable a person to be free to follow their own conscience

→ other person acts as ‘model’ and helps resistance to be easier

how is evidence for resisting obedience a strength of social support?

Milgram- when PP part of team of 3 teachers (confederates) and other 2 rebelled, obedience dropped to 10%

→ proves how social support helps resistance obedience to obey, pressure to obey reduces (disobedient role model)

what are 2 weaknesses of social support?

• Poor population validity

• Individual differences

How is poor population validity a weakness of social support?

In both Asch and Albretch study, all PPs american, can’t generalise, culturally bias

How is Individual differences a weakness of social support?

Not everyone’s the same, some people naturally more confident and will not obey without the need for social support, we can’t prove they rebelled solely due to the fact they had support from another