Lesson 10 - Dispositional Explanations of Independent Behaviour

Question 1

Rotter (1966) Locus of Control

Answer 1

Argued a person’s personality determines whether they conform/obey or resist social influence
Dispositional explanation
A person’s locus of control refers to extent to which they believe they have control over their own behaviour
Measured on a dimension from internal to external

Question 2

Internal Locus of Control

Answer 2

People believe what occurs in their life is the result of their own behaviours and actions
Can alter what happens to them
If they do bad on a test it is due to their own inadequate revision
Agree with statements such as “misfortune is usually bought about by people’s own actions”

Question 3

External Locus of Control

Answer 3

Strongly believe what happens in their lives is outside of their control
Think what occurs is determined by chance or other people so they have no ability to alter it
If they do bad on a test they blame it on bad luck or inadequate teachers
Agree with statements such as “things that make us unhappy are largely due to bad luck”

Question 4

Internal Locus of Control Traits

Answer 4

More likely to be leaders rather than followers
Less concerned with social approval
More self confident
Believe they control their own circumstances

Question 5

Locus of Control Evaluation
Oliner and Oliner (1988)
Positive

Answer 5

Interviewed 406 German people who had sheltered Jewish people from Nazis during 1930s and 1940s
Had internal locus of control allowing them to disobey Nazis

Question 6

Locus of Control Evaluation
Milgram (1974)
Positive

Answer 6

Asked participants to deliver electric shocks to a confederate when he got a question wrong
Shocks were not real but participants believed they were
65% of participants obeyed and shocked confederate
Milgram gave participants a questionnaire to measure their locus of control
Found 35% who disobeyed were far more likely to have an internal locus of control than those who obeyed

Question 7

Locus of Control Evaluation
Williams and Warchal (1981)
Negative

Answer 7

Found conformers were less assertive than non-conformists but that the two groups did not score differently on a locus of control test
Suggests assertiveness is more important than locus of control in determining whether someone will resist social influence or nto

Question 8

Locus of Control Evaluation Points

Answer 8

Oliner and Oliner (1988) Positive
Milgram (1974) Positive

Williams and Warchal (1981) Negative