Social influence often leads individuals to conform or obey.
Some individuals resist social pressure:
25% in Asch's study did not conform to incorrect answers.
35% in Milgram's study refused to administer the highest shock level.
Questions arise regarding personality traits versus situational pressures influencing resistance.
Explanations of Resistance to Social Influence
1. Situational Explanation: Social Support
Definition: Social support refers to the assistance individuals receive from others when resisting social influence.
How it Works:
In conformity, social support (a dissenting individual) breaks group unanimity, providing an alternative group to belong to.
In obedience, social support challenges the legitimacy of authority, showing the consequences of resistance and providing a role model.
Evaluations of Social Support
Milgram's study variation: When two Confederate teachers refused to continue, obedience rates dropped from 65% to 10%.
Asch's unanimity variation: One dissenting participant's correct response reduced conformity from 32% to 5.5%.
Additional Example: Participants used a non-conformist ally with poor eyesight, showing even minimal social support aids resistance.
2. Dispositional Explanation: Locus of Control
Definition: Locus of control reflects individuals' beliefs about the causes of their experiences, ranging from internal (self) to external (outside forces).
Internal Locus: Belief of personal control over life events; more likely to resist social pressure.
External Locus: Belief that control lies outside; less likely to resist social pressure.
Clarifying Locus of Control in Conformity and Obedience
Conformity: Internals are more likely to resist group pressure due to confidence in their decisions.
Obedience: Internals better equipped to stand against authority due to independence and self-confidence.
Evaluations of Locus of Control
Holland's replication of Milgram's study found:
37% of internals refused to administer high shocks vs. 23% of externals.
Suggests internals are more resistant, but 63% still obeyed, indicating it's not a complete explanation.
Spectre's research found a correlation between external locus and resistance to normative social influence but no correlation with informational social influence.
Criticism: Relationship between locus of control and resistance is correlational; other factors may influence resistance, such as social anxiety, personal morality, and social status.
Conclusion
Resistance to social influence can be influenced by both situational factors (social support) and dispositional factors (locus of control).
Further research is needed to fully understand the complexity of resistance.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to patrons for their support, enabling continued educational content.