1. Resisting Social Pressure

2. Ways to Resist Social Pressure
Taking responsibility for one’s own actions.
Moral Reasoning and awareness of own values.
Disobedient Models.
Questioning Motives.

3. Taking Responsibility
Moral control (Bierhoff, 2002)
Agentic shift (Kelman, 1973)
Increasing personal responsibility (Kipper and Har-Even, 1984)

4. Moral Reasoning
Our moral development proceeds in stages throughout our lives. (Kohlberg, 1969)
If we do not complete this development we fail to see that society’s rules and conventions are not always morally right.
Humanisation and dehumanisation

5. Disobedient Models
Both Milgram and Asch found that if there was just one other participant who disagreed with the majority then the naïve participant would be less likely to comply.
They had a role model making disobedience ‘ok’
However, during WWII 80% of Nazis in the Reserve Police Battalion 101 decided to kill Jews, despite being given other options of duties.

6. Questioning Motives
Our ability to question motives can also help us resist social pressure.
By being aware of compliance techniques we will be less likely to be duped.
E.g – Sales reps:
Door in face technique.
Foot in the door technique. (Milgram)
Low ball

7. Role of Education Hansen and Graham, 1991
Normative Education – not as common and not approved of.
Resistance Skills Training – Taught skills to make them more resistant to social pressure ie being assertive.
On their own not particularly effective but when combined showed students were less likely to have engaged in substance abuse one year later.

8. Gamson et al, 1982
Aim: Create a situation in which participants were encouraged to rebel against unjust authority. In what circumstances would people refuse?
Procedure: 33 groups of 9.Discuss the dismissal of an employee after being given the facts while being filmed. The cameraman switched off the cameras and told the participants to discuss the issue as if they disagreed with the employees behaviour and he switched the cameras back on. The ppt realised they were being manipulated in favour of the oil company.
Results: Most groups rebelled in some way. 8 signed the permission slip to use the video.

9. Gamson et al, 1982
Conclusion: Groups behave differently than individuals. However, some groups did not change their opinion as most did not have anti-authoritarian views.
Evaluation: Ethical Issues (distress, deception) Ecological Validity