2. What is independent behaviour?
• When an individual doesn‟t respond to
group norms
• Pay no attention to others behaviour but
are not influenced by them
• When someone has the ability to resist
the pressures to conform or to obey
3. Lets start at the beginning – Why
do people conform?
NSI – desire to be liked, look for
acceptance
ISI – desire to be right, look for guidance
4. Why not?!
In pairs, discuss possible reasons for why
someone would not conform in a
situation
5. What is conformity?
The tendency to change your behaviour
and or views in response to real or
imagined pressure from a social group
6. Allies – A01
• Research has demonstrated that
majority influence is more effective
when the majority are unanimous
• If there is just one person in a situation
that goes against the majority
conformity rates drop
- Why do you think this is?
7. Where have we seen the effect of a
„dissenter‟ before?
Asch!
With a dissenter (someone going against
the majority) conformity dropped to 5%
compared to 32% (without a dissenter)
8. Allies – A02
Research has demonstrated that the presence of a
dissenter (ally) results in a drop in conformity
For example, Allen & Levine (1971) carried out research
similar to Asch‟s – in condition 1 the dissenter had bad
eyesight, condition 2 the dissenter has normal vision,
condition 3 has no dissenter – conformity dropped
significant in condition 1 and 2 compared to 3.
This is a strength because Allen & Levine support Asch‟s
findings, that an ally (even one with poor vision on a
visual task) can decrease conformity, leading to
independent behaviour
9. Locus of Control – A01
• Refers to a person‟s perception of
personal control over their own
behaviour
Internal – great deal of personal
responsibility, consider their behaviour
to be controlled by themselves
External – consider their behaviour to be
controlled by external factors
10. Who is more likely to resist
conformity?
Internal locus of control
OR
External locus of control
11. Locus of Control – A02
Further research offers support for the
assumption that individuals with high internal
locus of control are more independent.
Atgis (1998) found that those who scored
higher on external locus of control were more
easily persuaded and likely to conform than
those with a low score.
This is positive as it therefore suggests that
„internals‟ may be more independent than
„externals‟.
12. Locus of Control– A02
Further research has demonstrated that there is an
unclear link between locus of control and resisting
conformity.
Williams & Warchal (1981) found that when 30 students
were given a range of conformity tasks based on Asch‟s
experimental paradigm and then tested using Rotter‟s locus
of control scale, those that conformed did not score
differently for locus of control BUT did get a low score on
an assertiveness scale.
This is a weakness as Williams and Warchal‟s research
demonstrates that the link between locus of control &
independent behaviour is unclear.
14. What is obedience?
When someone acts in response to a direct
order given by someone considered to
have more authority/social power than
themselves.
**It usually involves the individual doing
something they wouldn‟t normally have
done**
15. Why to people obey?
G radual Commitment
L egitimate Authority
A gentic Shift
D ehumanisation
16. Why would people not obey?
Illegitimate Authority (lack of
legitimate…) – when you don‟t consider
the individual giving you orders to have
social power/authority
Locus of control – how much the individual
feels they have control over their own
behaviour
17. Lack of Legitimate Authority
• If an authority figure is not considered to
be legitimate, e.g. has no social power or
authority, we are less likely to obey them
How was this shown in the variations of
Milgrams research?
- When the research took place at Yale with
the experimenter obedience was higher
than when it was in a run-down office block
with an experimenter in „normal‟ clothes
Yale = 65%
Office Block = 48%
18. Evaluate Milgram‟s research
You‟ve identified Milgram‟s research in
demonstrating a lack of legitimate
authority in resisting pressures to obey
- Now use your research methods to
evaluate his research
19. +ve – high degree of control
Milgram‟s research was conducted in a lab
and so had a high degree of control
For example the experimenter could
control variables such as the learners
protests etc (remember they were
recorded)
This is a strength because Milgram was
able to measure the effects of an
authority figure on obedience
20. -ve – lack of mundane realism
Milgram‟s research can be criticised for
lacking mundane realism
For example Orne suggested that the
participants in Milgram‟s research knew
that the shocks were not real
This is a weakness because the research may
in fact lack internal validity and ultimately
may not be investigating the effects of an
authority figure on obedience
21. Locus of Control – A01
• Refers to a person‟s perception of
personal control over their own
behaviour
Internal – great deal of personal
responsibility, consider their behaviour
to be controlled by themselves
External – consider their behaviour to be
controlled by external factors
22. Who is more likely to resist
conformity?
Internal locus of control
OR
External locus of control
23. Locus of Control – A02
Further research has supported the fact that
personality plays an important role in resisting
obedience to authority
Elms & Milgram (1974) set out to investigate the
background of disobedient participants by interviewing
a sample of those involved in Milgram‟s original
experiment. They found that disobedient participants
scored an internal locus of control
This is a strength as the research supports the idea that
a an internal locus of control can lead to more resisting
obedience to authority.
24. Mind maps!!
Close your booklets
Get a piece of paper
Write “Resisting Conformity” on one side and
“Resisting Obedience” on the other
You have 5 minutes to write all that you can
remember on both sides of the sheet
