Social Influence

Explanations of resistance to social influence: 

INDEPENDENT BEHAVIOUR - 

when someone doesn't conform or obey and maintains independence in the face of social influence. 

Independent behaviour involves: 

non-conformity and at times disobedience.

In Milgram's study: 

35% acted independently and didn't continue to give the highest shocks. 

In Hofling's study: 

Only 1 out of the 22 nurses acted independently 

In Asch's study: 

68% of people acted independently in each trial and 25% resisted the pressure at all times.

Rank and Jacobson (1977): 

• Queried Hofling's research in terms of its ecological validity. 
• Researches pointed out that the nurses had no knowledge of the prescribed drug and no opportunity to seek advice from anyone of equal or higher status. 
• This is an issue for ecological validity because it wasn't a true reflection of everyday life and isn't how it would be in a real hospital.

Summary of Hofling's study: 

Hofling (1966) Sampled 22 nurses working a various American hospitals received telephone calls from a confederate “Dr Smith of the Psychiatric Department”, instructing them to give Mr Jones (Dr Smith’s patient) 20mg of a made up drug called Astrofen.

Dr Smith said he was in a desperate hurry and would sign the drug authorisation form when he came to see the patient in 10 mins time. The label on the box containing the Astrofen clearly stated that the maximum dose was 10mg. So if the nurse obeyed Dr Smith’s instruction she would be exceeding the maximum daily dose. She would also be breaking the rules requiring written authorisation before any drug is given and that a nurse be absolutely sure that “Dr Smith” is a genuine doctor.

In reply to questionnaires, most nurses said they would not obey such an order. However, 21 out of the 22 nurses that received a call from “Dr Smith” complied without hesitation.

• You need your study to reflect everyday life, or the results will be artificial. 

SOCIAL SUPPORT: 

Understood as the perception of assistance and solidarity available from others and it can help people to resist conformity.

Allen and Levin (1971): 

- they found that conformity was reduced on a task involving visual judgements if there was a dissenter, even if the dissenter was wearing thick glasses and admitted to having poor eye sight. 

- this is surprising because: 

the dissenter is someone who we don't consider to be reliable but there is still conformity because there is social support in that there are two groups - MAJORITY AND MINORITY. Within the minority you are no longer alone as there is a dissenter who is also giving a different answer. If you were on your own in the minority you receive all the pressure of being the only one who gave a different answer, but when there is two people in the minority then the pressure is slightly relieved. 

Locus of Control: 

The locus of control is a thinking pattern bias which can either be internal or external. 

It is the degree to which…