Social support- resistance to social influence

what type of explanation is social support

situational

how does social support work?

when people observe others resisting social influence they are more likely to do the same

seeing others resist provides model of deifance, boosting observer confidence and reducing their sense of isolation

social support comes in the form of what

an ally who disagrees with the majority

what happens when an ally breaks the unanimity of a group in a conformity situation

weakens pressure to conform

easier for individual to stick to own views

what happens when an ally breaks the unanimity of a group in a obedience situation

disobedient role model challenges perceived legitimacy of authority figure

easier for others to resist commands

diffusion of responsibility

when more people resist/disobey individuals feel that any negative consequences will be shared among the group, making punishment less severe

shared responsibility further encourages resistance to social influence

strength- supporting research

Asch’s conformity study- when one confederate gave correct answer, broke unanimous agreement, conformity dropped from 75% to 5%

even 1 supporter gives individuals confidence to resist group pressure

Milgram’s obedience study- pps. paired with a disobedient confederate who refused to continue delivering shocks, obedience rates fell

social support reduces pressure to conform/obey- validate explanatory power

Counter of supporting research- limited generalisability

evidence comes from lab studies- lack ecological validity

IRL social interactions more complex- multiple influences, unclear authority, personal consequences

artificial nature means findings don’t fully apply to how people resist social influence in everyday social/political/professional settings

strength - real world application

practical relevance in understanding real-life resistance to authority/group pressure

whistleblowers more likely to come forward if see others doing the same

people more likely to resist peer pressure when have support from friends/ collegues

social support can empower individuals to stand up against harmful/unethical behaviour

explanation useful for designing interventions to promote independent thinking

weakness- doesn’t account for individual differences

social support emphasises situational influences, doesn’t explain why some people resist social pressure if alone, and others conform even if have support

other factors, e.g. personality, moral values, locus of control affect resistance

limited explanatory power- cannot account for full range of responses to social pressure