Dispositional /Individualistic Factors affecting obedience

Question 1

What are the three dispositional /Individualistic factors affecting obedience?

Answer 1

1) Personality -Locus of Control
2) Personality - authoritarian personality
3) Gender

Question 2

Explain the factor ‘Locus of Control’ and provide evidence:

Answer 2

Explanation:
-Rotter’s locus of control personality theory involves internal locus of control (belief that they are responsible for own actions and less influenced by others) and external locus of control ( belief that behavior is beyond their control)

Evidence:

• His theory findings are consistent with Milgram’s
• Obedient people ave external locus of control ; not only are they likely to be influenced by authority figure , they believe they are not responsible for their own actions.
• Dissenters have internal locus of control

Question 3

Define internal locus of control

Answer 3

-belief that they are responsible for own actions and less influenced by others

Question 4

Define external locus of control

Answer 4

-belief that behavior is beyond their control

Question 5

Evaluate locus of control as a factor

Answer 5

-Research is mixed in way that is debatable ;providing evidence saying individuals with internal locus always resist and individuals withe external locus always obey

Question 6

Explain the factor ‘ Authoritarian personality ‘ and provide evidence:

Answer 6

Explanation:
-An authoritarian personality is mostly submissive to authority but harsh to those seen as sub-bordinate to themselves. Adorno came with the F scale to detect an authoritarian personality

Evidence:
- Found that 65% who obeyed had higher F scale , which includes an authoritarian personality compared to the dissenter (35%)

Question 7

Explain the factor ‘Gender’ and provide evidence:

Answer 7

Explanation:
-Bern (1981) thought that gender stereotypes affect how we perceive ourselves and others, often depicting men as strong and aggressive and females as quiet and compliant. This would predict that females are more obedient.

Evidence:

• Milgram found: females has similar levels of obedience compared to males (27.5% before breaking off 300v)
• But levels of anxiety were much higher.

Question 8

Evaluate ‘Gender’ as a individualistic factor

Answer 8

-very little, gender differences in obedience, despite traditional beliefs that females would be more compliant to authority.