**L10 - Dispositional explanations of Resistance to Social Influence Flashcards
what did ROTTER argue?
ROTTER proposed the LOCUS OF CONTROL EXPLANATION for RESISTANCE TO SOCIAL INFLUENCE
ROTTER argued that a PERSON’S PERSONALITY determines WHETHER THEY WILL CONFORM/OBEY or RESIST SOCIAL INFLUENCE, it is THEREFORE A DISPOSITIONAL EXPLANATION.
what is LOCUS OF CONTROL?
a PERSON’S LOCUS OF CONTROL REFERS TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY BELIEVE THEY HAVE CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN BEHAVIOUR.
LOCUS OF CONTROL is MEASURED ON A DIMENSION FROM INTERNAL TO EXTERNAL
what is INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL?
people with an internal LOC believe that what occurs in their life is the result of their own behaviours and actions. They can therfore alter what happens to them, if they do badly on a test they believe it was due to inadequate revision - people with an internal LOC will agree with statements such as statements such as ‘misfortune is usually brought about by people’s actions’
what is EXTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL?
people with an EXTERNAL LOC believe strongly that WHAT HAPPENS IN THEIR LIVES IS OUTSIDE OF THEIR CONTROL.
They think what happens in their lives is DETERMINED BY CHANCE OR OTHER PEOPLE so they have NO WAY OF ALTERING IT - they will agree with statements such as ‘things that make us unhappy are largely due to bad luck’
why are people with INTERNAL LOC less likely to conform/obey?
1) they are MORE LIKELY TO BE LEADERS rather than FOLLOWERS
2) they are LESS CONCERNED WITH SOCIAL APPROVAL
3) they are MORE SELF CONFIDENT
4) they believe that they CONTROL THEIR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES
+ OLINER AND OLINER
OLINER AND OLINER interviewed 406 GERMAN PEOPLE WHO HAD SHELTERED JEWISH PEOPLE FROM THE NAZIS DURING THE 1930s and 1940s, these German people had an INTERNAL LOC which had ALLOWED THEM TO DISOBEY THE NAZIS
+ MILGRAM
MILGRAM asked pps to DELIVER ELECTRIC SHOCKS TO A CONFEDERATE (MR WALLACE) when he got a QUESTION WRONG, the SHOCKS WEREN’T REAL but PPS BELIEVED THEY WERE. 65% OF PPS OBEYED AND SHOCKED MR WALLACE UP TO 450V.
MILGRAM gave the pps a QUESTIONNAIRE to MEASURE THEIR LOC and found that the 35% WHO HAD DISOBEYED were FAR MORE LIKELY to have an INTERNAL LOC THAN THOSE WHO OBEYED
- WILLIAMS AND WARCHAL
WILLIAMS AND WARCHAL found that CONFORMERS were LESS ASSERTIVE than NON CONFORMERS but that the TWO GROUPS DIDN’T SCORE DIFFERENTLY ON A TEST DETERMINING THEIR LOC, this suggests that ASSERTIVENESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN LOC in DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT A PERSON WILL REFUSE TO CONFORM/OBEY.
