1. Resistance to social influence
Pages of course text
Social influence:
Explanations of resistance to social influence including social support and locus of control

2. Key terms
Key terms
Resistance to social influence – Ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority Social Support – The presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same Locus of control – Internals believe they are responsible for what happens to them. Externals believe it is outside forces.

3. Resistance to social influence
This refers to the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority.
The ability to withstand social pressure is influenced by both situational and dispositional factors
The two explanations you need to know are:
Social support
Locus of control (LOC)

4. Locus of control

5. Score internal statements as follows (question numbers 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20):
Give each statement a score between 1 and 6, where the answer ‘agree very much’ = 1 and ‘disagree very much’ = 6.
Score external statements as follows (questions numbers 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 17, 18, 19):
Give each statement a score between 1 and 6, where the answer ‘agree very much’ = 6 and ‘disagree very much’ = 1.
Add up total score. Scores range from 20 to 120. A low score indicates an internal locus of control.

6. Locus of control – AO1
This refers to the sense we have about what directs events in our lives. Rotter (1966) proposed the concept of locus of control – a concept concerned with internal vs external
Internal LOC
External LOC
Internals believe that they are mostly responsible for what happens to them
Externals believe that things happen without their own control

7. Low external + low internal LOC
Locus of control – AO1
Continuum
People differ in the way they explain their successes and failures but this is not simply a matter of being internal or external – there is a continuum
Low external + low internal LOC
High internal LOC
High external LOC

8. Locus of control – AO1 Resistance to social influence
People with internal LOC are more likely to be able to resist pressure to conform or obey:
If someone takes personal responsibility for their actions and experiences (good or bad) they are more likely to base their decisions on their own beliefs
People with high internal LOC are more self-confident, more achievement-oriented, have higher intelligence and less need for social approval. These personality traits lead to greater resistance to social influence

9. Task: Which Locus of Control are YOU?
I have an …… locus of control
This means I…..
If you have an ….. locus of control…..you will…….. to social influence because….
On a post it note write:
According to the questionnaire, do you have an more internal or external locus of control? Or are you in the middle?
What does this say about you?
3) Are you more or less likely to resist social influence and act independently?
Place it on the continuum according to your LOC score

10. Locus of control – AO3 Research support – resistance to obedience
Holland (1967) repeated Milgram’s study and measured whether pps were internals or externals
37% of internals did not continue to the highest shock level (they showed independence)
Only 23% of externals did not continue
As internals showed greater resistance this support increases the validity of the LOC explanation and our confidence that it can explain resistance

11. Locus of control – AO3 Contradictory research
Twenge et al (2004) analysed data from American obedience studies over a 40-year period ( )
The data showed that, over this time span, people have become more resistant to obedience but more external
If resistance were linked to an internal LOC then we would expect people to have become more internal
This challenges the link between internal LOC and resistance
However, the results may be due to a changing society where many things are increasingly outside personal control

12. Locus of control – AO3 The role of LOC may be exaggerated
Rotter et al (1982) found LOC is only important in new situations – it has little influence in familiar situations where previous experiences are always more important
This does suggests that locus of control can explain only a limited range of situations in which people might resist social influence.
This means that locus of control is not as important a factor in resistance as some have suggested.

13. Social Influence Is LOC the only reason for resistance? London Riots
Why did these individuals decide to disobey authority?

14. Social Support… Situational Explanation
Asch found that the presence of another non-conformist confederate, lowered overall conformity on the ‘lines’ task.
Milgram found that obedience levels dropped from 65% to 10% when the teacher was joined by another disobedient confederate.

15. Social support – AO1
The presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same. These people act as models to show others that resistance to social influence is possible
Conformity
Obedience
Conformity is reduced by a dissenting peer
The effect is not long lasting
Obedience is reduced by one other dissenting partner
The dissenter’s disobedience frees the pp to act from their own conscience

16. Social support – AO1 Conformity - Asch Obedience - Milgram
Asch found that conformity reduced to 5.5% when one of the confederates gave a different answer to the rest of the group
This was true even when the confederates answer was a different wrong answer then others in the group
Social support breaks the unanimous position of the majority
Obedience dropped from 65% to 10% when the genuine pps was joined by a disobedient confederate
Independent behaviour increased from 35% to 90% in the disobedient peer condition
Social support – people are more confident to resist obedience if they can find an ally who is willing to join them

17. Social support – AO3 Research support – resistance to obedience
Gamson et al (1982) found higher levels of resistance in their study than Milgram. This was probably because they were in groups
They had to produce evidence to help an oil company run a ‘smear campaign’
29 out of 33 groups of pps (88%) rebelled
This shows that peer support is linked to greater resistance

18. Social support – AO3 Research support – resistance to conformity
Allen and Levine (1971) found independence increased with one dissenter in an Asch-type study. Even if the dissenter wore thick glasses and said he had problems with his vision.
Resistance is not motivated by following what someone else says but it enables someone to be free of the pressure from the group

19. Task
Two people who may be interested in why people resist social influence are:
A teacher who wants to ensure that students resist peer pressure to conform.
A new army sergeant who wants to reduce the possibility that his new squad disobey his orders.
Provide advice for these two people on what you would recommend based on your psychological knowledge.

20. The Teacher
Social support: They could encourage role models (e.g. other members of the school community) to talk about their own experiences of resisting conformity as students are more likely to resist conformity when they are aware of someone else doing the same.
LOC: teacher should encourage development of internal locus of control – for example, through PSHE lessons on self-efficacy and self-confidence. Those with a high internal LOC are more likely to resist pressure to conform.

21. The sergeant Social support: Where there is any disobedience then
the focus should be removed from that person as people are likely to resist obedience when they see others disobeying.
LOC: Reinforcing obedience in tasks in the early days
will increase the likelihood of obedience to those tasks
as LOC only comes into play when the task is a novel one.

22. Social Influence Exam Q’s
5 minutes
Exam Q’s
1) Discuss one or more explanations of why people resist the pressure to conform. (8 marks)

23. ‘Discuss’ = describe and evaluate
AO1 = 4, AO3 = 4

24. ‘Discuss’ = describe and evaluate
AO3

25. Description: How do you Elaborate?
Resistance to SI
Description: How do you Elaborate?
PEEL
POINT
Make your point.
One factor that leads individuals to resist pressures to conform or obey is support from others.
EXPLAIN
Explain your point
Social support can increase a person’s confidence that there own view or position is correct. Alternatively, the presence of other defiant people means that disobedient behaviour stands out less than if the individual acted alone.
EXAMPLE
EVIDENCE
Explain what the research shows or suggests.
In one of Asch’s variations to his study in which an ally also gave the right answer, conformity levels dropped from 33% to 5.5%.
LINK
Link it back to your point or the question.
The ally (dissenter) provided a form of social support to the participant which led to them to resist the pressure to conform
Look at the mark scheme for a 24 marker and answer the questions..

26. Evaluation: How do you Elaborate?
Resistance to SI
Evaluation: How do you Elaborate?
PEEL
POINT
Make your point.
Asch’s finding’s about the importance of social support in resisting conformity is supported by evidence from Allen & Levine’s study.
EXPLAIN
Explain your point
They found that conformity was reduced on a task involving visual judgements if there was social support from dissenter, even if they wore glasses with thick lenses and admitted to having a sight problem.
EXAMPLE
EVIDENCE
Explain what the research shows or suggests.
This suggests dissenters help resist social influence even when they are not skilled in particular situations.
LINK
Link it back to your point or the question.
Therefore backing how social support helps in resisting social influence
Look at the mark scheme for a 24 marker and answer the questions..

27. Description: How do you Elaborate?
Resistance to SI
Description: How do you Elaborate?
PEEL
POINT
Make your point.
Social support has also been shown to be effective in helping people resist obedience.
EXPLAIN
Explain your point
Milgram found that the presence of disobedient confederates who were prepared to resist the authority’s requests acted as role models and made it more likely that the real participant would also resist.
EXAMPLE
EVIDENCE
Explain what the research shows or suggests.
Only 10% of participants gave the 450 v shock with social support from two confederates.
LINK
Link it back to your point or the question.
This demonstrates how support from others increased the participants ability to resist orders
Look at the mark scheme for a 24 marker and answer the questions..

28. Evaluation: How do you Elaborate?
Resistance to SI
Evaluation: How do you Elaborate?
PEEL
POINT
Make your point.
A strength of Milgram’s finding that social support increases resistance to obedience is that there is research support.
EXPLAIN
Explain your point
Gamson et.al set up a situation in which participants had to produce evidence that would be used to help an oil company run a smear campaign.
EXAMPLE
EVIDENCE
Explain what the research shows or suggests.
Gamson et al found high levels of resistance to this with 29 out of 33 groups of participants rebelling against the task.
LINK
Link it back to your point or the question.
This shows that peer support ( the participants worked in groups) is linked to greater resistance to obedience.
Look at the mark scheme for a 24 marker and answer the questions..

29. Description: How do you Elaborate?
Resistance to SI
Description: How do you Elaborate?
PEEL
POINT
Make your point.
An alternative explanation of resistance to social influence is that of Locus of control
EXPLAIN
Explain your point
People are better able to resist social influence if they have an internal locus of control. Individuals with a high internal locus of control believe they can affect the outcomes of situations.
EXAMPLE
EVIDENCE
Explain what the research shows or suggests.
Rotter who devised the locus of control scale believed that having an internal locus of control makes individuals more resistant to social pressure as they see themselves in control of a situation and believe they have the choice to conform or obey.
LINK
Link it back to your point or the question.
(Not always needed, especially for description)
Look at the mark scheme for a 24 marker and answer the questions..

30. Evaluation: How do you Elaborate?
Resistance to SI
Evaluation: How do you Elaborate?
PEEL
POINT
Make your point.
A strength of the explanation that people with a high internal locus are more likely to resist pressures to obey is from research support.
EXPLAIN
Explain your point
…Elms & Milgram, who investigated the background of those participants who were classed as disobedient in Milgram study found that 37% of internals did not continue to the highest shock level (they showed independence). Only 23% of externals did not continue
EXAMPLE
EVIDENCE
Explain what the research shows or give alternative
He found that disobedient participants had a high internal LOC and also scored highly on a social responsibility scale.
LINK
Link it back to your point or the question.
Internals showed greater resistance this support increases the validity of the LOC explanation and our confidence that it can explain resistance
Look at the mark scheme for a 24 marker and answer the questions..

31. Could you answer the following question?
Describe and evaluate two explanations of resistance to social influence. Refer to evidence in your answer.
(12 marks – AS/16 marks A level)

32. Exam questions Exam Question
Three students, George, Petra and Dan, have just started in the sixth form. Dan is a confident person who thinks that his fate lies firmly in his hands. By the end of the first week, Dan has put himself forward to be nominated as the class representative. Petra has also put her name forward to be nominated. She believes it is just luck whether or not she will be selected and feels that there is not much she can do about it. George did not put his name forward because his father told him not to. (i) What type of locus of control does Petra’s behaviour show? (ii) What type of locus of control does Dan’s behaviour show?

33. Exam questions Exam Question
Petra is showing external locus of control. Dan is showing an internal locus of control.

34. Exam questions Exam Question
Which one of the three students is most likely to resist pressures to conform? Use your knowledge of psychology to explain your choice. (4 marks)

35. Exam questions Exam Question
The student who is most likely to resist pressure to conform is Dan. He has an internal locus of control and research has suggested that those people who believe that they are in control of their environment are less likely to conform. These personality types are much more likely to behave independently. Dan’s attributional style allows him to resist the pressure to conform.
Another reason could be gender. Males have been shown to be more independent than females.
4 marks Effective explanation - Accurate and reasonably detailed explanation that demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of why Dan behaved in this way.
3 marks Reasonable explanation - Less detailed but generally accurate explanation that demonstrates knowledge and understanding of resistance to conformity.
2 marks Basic - Basic explanation that demonstrates some relevant knowledge and understanding of resistance to conformity but lacks detail and may be muddled.
1 mark Very brief/flawed or inappropriate - demonstrating very little knowledge.
0 marks - No creditworthy material.

36. Homework Ensure you have made notes on resistance to social change
(pages )
Your notes should include:
Explanations of: social support and locus of control
How these factors impact on ability to resist social influence
Evaluations of social support and locus of control
Complete the ‘Apply it: pg.30 Concepts Apply it.