Explanations of resistance to Social Influence
What does resistance to social influence mean?
Resistance to social influence refers to the ability of people to withstand the social
pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority
Evidence?
Research studies carried out by Asch, Zimbardo, Hofling and Milgram have shown
how many people conform or obey when put under pressure
However, in each of these studies, some individuals resisted the pressure put on
them and retained their independence
o In Asch’s experiment, 26% did not conform to the confederates estimates of
line length at any point
o In Milgram’s 1963 experiment, 35% of the 40 male participants disobeyed
the experimenter by refusing to give the full 450 volt shocks
o In Hofling’s field experiment, one nurse out of 22 refused to administer the
drug to a patient
o In Zimbardo’s prison study, around 2/3 of the guards resisted the pressure to
behave sadistically towards the prisoners
What leads people to resist social pressure?
This ability to withstand social pressure is influenced by both situational (external)
and dispositional (internal, personality) factors
Such as?
1. Social support – an important external factor, the presence of
others who are also resisting the pressure to conform or obey
2. Locus of control (LOC) – an internal personality factor
, 1. Social Support
People have social support
Social support is the presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey. These
people act as role models to show others hat resistance to social influence is possible
What does social support do?
Social support can increase an individual’s confidence that their own view or position’s
correct
Social support and conformity
What is the effect of social support on conformity?
Social support can increase people’s ability to resist conformity
How?
The pressure to conform will be less likely if there are other people present who are
not conforming
o Asch’s research
Unanimity is the extent to which all member of the group agree
In Asch’s original study, the confederates unanimously gave the same wrong
answer when they selected the same comparison line
This produced the greatest degree of conformity in the naive
Asch wondered if the unanimity of the group made the naive participant feel
isolated, increasing the tendency to conform
The effect of another member of the group agreeing with the real
participant:
Asch positioned a confederate just before the real participant around the
table instructing them to give the correct answer on the critical trials
This other person acts as a “model”
Conformity was reduced from 32% to 5.5%
What seems to be crucial is breaking the unanimity of the majority
By breaking the unanimity of the majority, they raise the possibility that there
are other, equally legitimate, ways of thinking or responding
The fact that someone else is not following the majority appears to enable a
person to be free to follow their own conscience, this makes them feel more
confident in their decision and better be able to stand up to the majority
Asch’s research also showed that if this “non-conforming” person starts
conforming again so does the naïve participant
Conforming increased from 5.5% to 32% i.e. the conformity rate which would
have occurred if there had been no supporter to begin with.
This suggests the effect of dissent is not long lasting
What does resistance to social influence mean?
Resistance to social influence refers to the ability of people to withstand the social
pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority
Evidence?
Research studies carried out by Asch, Zimbardo, Hofling and Milgram have shown
how many people conform or obey when put under pressure
However, in each of these studies, some individuals resisted the pressure put on
them and retained their independence
o In Asch’s experiment, 26% did not conform to the confederates estimates of
line length at any point
o In Milgram’s 1963 experiment, 35% of the 40 male participants disobeyed
the experimenter by refusing to give the full 450 volt shocks
o In Hofling’s field experiment, one nurse out of 22 refused to administer the
drug to a patient
o In Zimbardo’s prison study, around 2/3 of the guards resisted the pressure to
behave sadistically towards the prisoners
What leads people to resist social pressure?
This ability to withstand social pressure is influenced by both situational (external)
and dispositional (internal, personality) factors
Such as?
1. Social support – an important external factor, the presence of
others who are also resisting the pressure to conform or obey
2. Locus of control (LOC) – an internal personality factor
, 1. Social Support
People have social support
Social support is the presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey. These
people act as role models to show others hat resistance to social influence is possible
What does social support do?
Social support can increase an individual’s confidence that their own view or position’s
correct
Social support and conformity
What is the effect of social support on conformity?
Social support can increase people’s ability to resist conformity
How?
The pressure to conform will be less likely if there are other people present who are
not conforming
o Asch’s research
Unanimity is the extent to which all member of the group agree
In Asch’s original study, the confederates unanimously gave the same wrong
answer when they selected the same comparison line
This produced the greatest degree of conformity in the naive
Asch wondered if the unanimity of the group made the naive participant feel
isolated, increasing the tendency to conform
The effect of another member of the group agreeing with the real
participant:
Asch positioned a confederate just before the real participant around the
table instructing them to give the correct answer on the critical trials
This other person acts as a “model”
Conformity was reduced from 32% to 5.5%
What seems to be crucial is breaking the unanimity of the majority
By breaking the unanimity of the majority, they raise the possibility that there
are other, equally legitimate, ways of thinking or responding
The fact that someone else is not following the majority appears to enable a
person to be free to follow their own conscience, this makes them feel more
confident in their decision and better be able to stand up to the majority
Asch’s research also showed that if this “non-conforming” person starts
conforming again so does the naïve participant
Conforming increased from 5.5% to 32% i.e. the conformity rate which would
have occurred if there had been no supporter to begin with.
This suggests the effect of dissent is not long lasting
