Explanations of Resistance To Social Influence Flashcards
What is a locus of control?
Refers to individual differences in peoples beliefs and expectations about what controls their lives.
- Relates to a persons perception of the extent of personal control they have over their own behaviour, events and future.
What is an internal locus of control?
Individuals who believe that what happens to them is controlled by internal factors:their own ability, effort and personal decisions.
Believe they can control events in their life.
What is an external locus of control?
Believe what happens to them is controlled by external factors: the role of others, luck or fate. Have a sense that things “just happen to them” and are largely uncontrollable. Take less responsibility for their actions.
What is social support?
Social support can increase an individuals confidence that their position/viewpoint is correct.
Discuss Avtgis’ research into locus of control.
Carried out a meta-analysis of studies which considered locus of control and conformity and 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. The average correlation was 0.37 which was statistically significant.
Discuss Elms and Milgram’s research into locus of control.
Investigated participants who had been disobedient in the first four of Milgram’s experiments. They found that those participants who had been disobedient had a high level of internal locus of control and also scored higher on a social responsibility scale.
