Summary Social Influence – Resistance, Minority Influence and Social Change Notes
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Course
Social Influence
Institution
AQA
4 detailed A4 pages of notes on aspects of social influence as part of AQA A-Level Psychology. Topics include resisting social influence (locus of control, social support) minority influence and social change through minority and majority influence with lots of evaluation point for each! Also inclu...
Social Influence – Resistance, Minority Influence and Social Change
Social Influence – a change in a person’s attitudes, opinions or behaviours as a result of interacting with an individual or group
Resistance to Social Influence - Social Support (AO1) Evaluation of Social Support (AO3)
• Asch (1956) found the presence of social support aids an individual to resist Strengths
social and conformity pressure from a majority
• Mullen et al. (1990) conducted a field experiment where they found when
o In a variation of his original conformity study, Asch offered social
disobedient models crossed the road illegally, participants were more likely
support from one confederate, where conformity dropped from 37% to
to do the same, opposed to when the models were not present. This
5.5%
supports the idea that dissenters increase resistance to social influence
• Social support breaks the unanimity of the majority, allowing others to freedom
• Allen & Levine (1971) replicated Asch’s study where they introduced a
to think outside the group
dissenter in thick glasses who claimed they had poor eye-sight. Conformity
• The dissenter (person who doesn’t conform to the rest of the group) acts as a
rates still decreased, supporting the idea that the presence of any dissenter
model for the participant
increases resistance to social influence
• Asch’s research also found once the dissenter began to conform again, the
participant followed Weaknesses
• Milgram’s obedience study found when the participant was joined by another
‘teacher’(confederate) obedience levels dropped from 65% to 10% • Asch and Milgram’s variations may have displayed a reduction in
o This shows the dissenter is a model for the participant to allow them to conformity and obedience when there was a dissenter present, however
think clearly and act from their own conscience these levels did not decrease to zero. Therefore, there must be other
reasons why individuals resist social influence e.g., not having an
authoritarian personality, group size, proximity etc.
Resistance to Social Influence – Locus of Control (AO1) Evaluation of Locus of Control (AO3)
Refers to people’s perception of their personal control of their own behaviour Strengths
Internal Locus of Control: • Holland (1967) replicated Milgram’s study where they found 37% of
participants with an internal LOC refused to obey whereas 23% of
• We control the events in our life
participants with an external LOC also refused. This supports the idea our
• ‘I control my own destiny’ – self confidence
LOC impacts the ability to resist social pressures
• Reply less on others, independent, completely responsible for their actions
• Avtgis (1998) conducted a meta-analysis involving LOC and conformity,
• More likely to resist social pressures
concluding that those with an internal LOC are less likely to conform. This
External Locus of Control: supports the idea LOC is linked to resisting social influence
• Events are determined by fate or luck Weaknesses
• ‘Others control my destiny’
• Twenge et al. (2004) found Americans have become less obedient, but have
• Fatalistic, passive
a more external LOC. This weakens the idea that having an internal LOC
• Less independent, take less responsibility for their own behaviour
leads to resistance in social influence
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