Graduation Semester and Year
2017
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
William Ickes
Abstract
Using a dispositional strategy, two studies investigated individual differences in three types of influenceability and two types of anti-influenceability. Study 1 replicated the majority of consistent results found in Robinson and Ickes (2016) of different personality traits being predictive of different forms of influenceability. Individuals who reported more instances of self-jeopardizing influenceability tended to (1) have an external locus of control, (2) be more other-directed, (3) have a weaker sense of self, and (4) be more prone to dispositional emotional contagion. Individuals who were prone to susceptibility to peer pressure tended to be (1) low in social desirability, (2) more other-directed, and (3) high self-monitors. Individuals who reported more instances of emotional contagion behaviors were prone to be (1) higher in dispositional emotional contagion, (2) lower in social desirability, and (3) female. Study 2 investigated dispositional determinants of two types of anti-influenceability: independence and self-jeopardizing anti-influenceability. Individuals who reported more instances of independence tended to be (1) higher in psychological reactance, (2) lower in social desirability, and (3) male. Individuals who reported higher rates of self-jeopardizing anti-influenceability were more likely to (1) reject authority, (2) be prone to psychological reactance, (3) be male, and possibly be higher in authoritarianism in certain circumstances. The author argues that extreme forms of influenceability and anti-influenceability can result in negative outcomes for the individuals who possess these qualities, and that dispositional studies can contribute to identifying these individuals. Future research can build upon the framework identified in the current studies, with the goal of intervening prior to negative long-term consequences.
Keywords
Influenceability, Anti-Influenceability, Individual differences, Personality, Social Influence
Disciplines
Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Robinson, Rebecca L., "Individual Differences in Influenceability and Anti-Influenceability" (2017). Psychology Dissertations. 157.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/psychology_dissertations/157
Comments
Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington