Lecture on Social Influence: Obedience and Conformity

Key Points

• Social Influence: Often leads individuals to conform or obey due to social pressure.
• Resistance: Some individuals resist conformity and obedience despite pressure.
  • Example: 25% in Asch's study resisted giving in to group pressure.
  • Example: 35% in Milgram's study resisted continuing to the highest shock level.

Factors Influencing Resistance

Explanations of Resistance

1. Situational Explanation: Social Support

   • Social Support: Having an ally who resists conformity or obedience can reinforce an individual's resolve.
   • Conformity: A non-conformist ally breaks group unanimity and provides an alternative group identity.
   • Obedience: An ally challenging authority exemplifies the consequences of resistance and offers a model for behavior.

2. Dispositional Explanation: Locus of Control

   • Locus of Control: Scale from high internal to high external, affecting how individuals perceive control over their lives.
     • Internal Locus of Control: Belief in personal control over life; more likely to resist social pressures.
     • External Locus of Control: Belief that external forces control life; less likely to resist social pressures.

Research and Evaluations

• Milgram's Study Variation: Social support decreased obedience from 65% to 10%.
• Asch's Study Variation: Introduction of a dissenting ally reduced conformity from 32% to 5.5%.
• Spectre's Research: Correlation between external locus of control and susceptibility to normative social influence.
• Holland's Study: Internals more likely to resist obedience than externals (37% vs. 23%).

Criticisms

• Partial Explanation: Locus of control is not a complete explanation for resistance.
• Correlational Nature: The relationship between locus of control and resistance is not causal. Other factors like social anxiety, personal morality, and social status may also play roles.

Additional Resources

• Psych Boost App: Provides educational tools like flashcards and quizzes.
• Patreon Support: Offers ad-free video content and additional learning materials.

These notes summarize the lecture on factors that influence resistance to social influence, highlighting both situational and dispositional elements. Understanding these can help explain why some individuals resist while others conform or obey.