1.1.15

Resistance to Social Influence

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Resistance to Social Influence

Not all individuals are likely to conform to social influence. Resistance to social influence involves both disobedience and non-conformity. Non-conformity has two forms: independence and anti-conformity.

Key features of non-conformity

Key features of non-conformity

  • Independence refers to a lack of consistent movement either towards or away from social expectancy. We often describe this as ‘doing our own thing.’
  • Anti-conformity refers to a consistent movement away from social conformity, such as adopting the behaviour and norms of the minority.
Social support

Social support

  • When other people in social situations defy attempts to make them conform and obey, it becomes easier for the individual to resist.
  • The presence of others who dissent creates strong sources of defiance.
  • A dissenter would be an example of social support because it would represent another person who then makes it easier for other people to also dissent.
Research findings - __Asch (1951)__

Research findings - Asch (1951)

  • In Asch's (1951) line judgement task, if the dissenter answered correctly from the start of the study, conformity levels dropped from 32% to 5.5%.
  • If the dissenter answered correctly later in the study, conformity levels dropped to 8.5%. This shows that social support received earlier is more effective than support received later.
Research findings - Milgram

Research findings - Milgram

  • In Milgram's study, when two confederates who were paired with real participants left, saying that they wouldn’t continue, only 10% of participants gave the maximum 450-volt shock.
  • So the creation of disobedient group norms puts more pressure on participants to conform.
Rotter's questionnaire

Rotter's questionnaire

  • Rotter (1966) designed a 13-part questionnaire to measure internal and external locus of control.
  • Scores range from 0 to 13.
    • A low score indicates an internal control.
    • A high score indicates external control.
Locus of control

Locus of control

  • Locus of control (LoC) is the extent to which people think they're in control of their own lives.
    • Internal LoC is the belief that things happen as a result of our choices and decisions.
    • External LoC is the belief that things happen because of luck, fate or other external forces beyond the control of the individual.
  • Individuals with an internal locus of control are less likely to conform than those with an external locus of control.

Locus of Control

A person's locus of control (LoC) is used to describe the extent to which they believe they are in control of their own life.

Social group acceptance

Social group acceptance

  • Spector (1983) found that participants with high external LoC conformed more than those with low external LoC, but only in situations involving normative social pressure.
  • Neither group (high or low external LoC) conformed in situations of information social influence.
  • This shows that feeling like we don’t need to be accepted into a social group increases our ability to resist social influence.
Cultural differences

Cultural differences

  • Moghaddam (1998) found that Japanese people conform more easily than Americans and also have a more external LoC.
  • This shows that cultural differences in conformity can be explained by differences in LoC.
LoC and obedience

LoC and obedience

  • Holland and Blass (1967, 1991) found that those with internal LoC were better at resisting obedience than those with an external LoC.
  • Those with higher internal LoC are more able to resist if they are forced or when they suspect manipulation.
  • These findings show that aspects of personal control in a situation play an important role in obedience.
Responsibility

Responsibility

  • Schurz (1985) instructed participants to give what they believed was a painful, skin damaging burst of ultrasound to a learner.
  • Schurz found no relationship between LoC and obedience.
  • But of the participants who administered the highest dose, those with an internal LoC were more likely to take responsibility for their actions than participants with an external LoC.
  • This shows that feelings of personal control may be related to resistance to social influence.
Jump to other topics
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Social Influence

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Memory

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Attachment

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(2026 Exams) Psychopathology

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(2027 Exams) Clinical Psychology & Mental Health

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Approaches in Psychology

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Biopsychology

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Research Methods

8.1

Research Methods

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Scientific Processes

8.3

Data Handling & Analysis

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Inferential Testing

9

Issues & Debates in Psychology (A2 only)

10

Option 1: Relationships (A2 only)

10.1

Relationships: Sexual Relationships (A2 only)

10.2

Relationships: Romantic Relationships (A2 only)

10.3

(2026 Exams) Relationships: Virtual (A2 only)

10.4

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Option 1: Cognition & Development (A2 only)

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Option 2: Schizophrenia (A2 only)

14

Option 2: Eating Behaviour (A2 only)

15

Option 2: Stress (A2 only)

16

Option 3: Aggression (A2 only)

17

Option 3: Forensic Psychology (A2 only)

18

Option 3: Addiction (A2 only)

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