Resistance to social influence

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Social support-Resisting conformity

-Asch found that social support lets people resist the majority influence (conformity went from 33% to just 5.5%)

-By breaking the unanimity it allows the individual to legitimise other ways of thinking

-The presence of an ally allows the individual to independent asses reality, makes them feel more confident in their answer

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Social support- Resisting obedience

-If the majority is obedient to authority it makes the behaviour seem aceptable

-Research shows individuals with an ally are more able to resist obedience

-Disobedient peers are often seen as role model

-Milgram=after the introduction of two confederates not obeying conformity dropped to only 10%

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Locus of control-The nature of it

-Locus of control is an individuals percieved control of their own behaviour

-High internal locus of control= what happens to me is a consequence of my own ability. More likely to show independence. Rely less on the opinion of others. Better able to resist social influence

-High external locus of control= What happens to me is because of external factors (e.g. i'm late because the bus left). Things are out of their control, they just happen. They take less responsability for their actions. Don't show as much independent behaviour. Less likely to resist social influence

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Internality and resistence to social influence

-High internals are:

  • Active seekers of information
  • Less relient on others opinions
  • Less vulnerable to social influence
  • More acheivment orient
  • Leaders

-Hutchins and Estey found that in a simulated war camp the individuals with a high internal locus of control were more able to resist the interrogater

-The hiher the presure the more significant of a difference there was

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Evaluation-Importance of response oprder

-Allen and Levinme did a variation in which a confederate gave the correct answer in first position or forth (real participant was always last)

-Conformity dropped for both but most significantly when the confederate was in first position

-This is because the participants belief is confirmed which commits them to their answer and endures through the other confederates (incorrect) answers

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Evaluation-Invalid support

-Allen and Levine, conderate wore very thick glasses= Conformity still dropped. Not as much as a confederate with normal vision

-An ally provides social support and reduces conformity but more so if it is valid social support

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Evaluation- Social support=normative not informati

-Spector found that in 157 unergraduates there was a significant corralation between locus of control and normative social influence

-Externals more likely to conform to normative social influence

-Locus of control isn't a significant factor in informational social influence

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Further evaluation

-The rosentrass protest (Women standing toe to toe 'set jews free')

-Avgist, meta-analysis of reseatrch studying the realtionship of locus of control with other types of social influence

-Showed a significant positive corralation between scores of internality/externality and scores of perwasion, conformity and social influence

-High internal=more easily perwaded, easily influenced and more conforming than individuals with an internal locus of control

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Minority influence

-Commitment=Suggests certainty, confidence and courage

-Consistency=Meta analysic, Minoritys that were percieved as consistant were more influential

-Flexability=Rigid perswasion can be seen as narrow minded however to much flexability can lead to others seeing that as inconsistent

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Key study-Moscovichi

Procedure: Inconsistent=Confederates called the slides green 2/3 of the time

Consistent=Confederates called the slides green on every trial

Findings: consitent majority=8% said green Inconsistent minority had very little influence

-Stick sorting, those in the consistent group put more sticks in the green group

-Although a minority influence doesn't have much influence a consistent minority is more influential than in inconsistent one

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Research support, flexability

-Nemeth and Brilmayer-simulated jury situation

-Jury members discussing skiing compensation

-confederate puts forward an opposing view with no flexability=no effect

-Confederate that was flexable=did exert an influence

-Only evident in those that shifted late in negotianations

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Real value of minority influence

Nemeth 'Minority influence opens the mind to ther possibilities'

-In group situations those exposed to a minority influence had improved decision quality

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The value of minority influence

-Mackie suggests that it is the majority (rather than minority) influence that leads to greater proccesing

-The majority group is generally believed to have similar views to our own

-when this isn't the case it leads us to think why which leads us to consider it carefully

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