Locus of control

Question 1

What is meang by locus of control

Answer 1

LoC is a personality dimension
- it concerns the extent to which individuals percieve themselves as being in control of their own lives

Question 2

How is LoC measured?

Answer 2

It is measured on a scale of high internal to high external

Question 3

What are the characteristics if a person with a high internal LoC ?

Answer 3

An individual who believes their life us determined by their own decisions and efforts

Question 4

What are the characteristics if a person with a high external LoC ?

Answer 4

An individual who believes their life is determined by fate, luck and external factors

Question 5

High internal LoC

Answer 5

• believes they are in control of what happens to them
• it is due to their actions and choices
• more resustant to social pressure and see themselves in control of a situation therefore less likely to conform or kbye
• confident in their decisions

Question 6

High external LoC

Answer 6

• believe things happen tonthem regardless to their actions
• believe what happens to them is luck or fate and that they are not in control of their life
• it is all due to external forces in their environment ( for example other people)

Question 7

Evidence for
LoC + resisting conformity

Answer 7

Spector (1983)
- rotter’s LoC to 157 students, found ps with high external LoC did conform more in NSI situations. This suggests that people with high external LoC are less able to resist social influence
Moghaddam
- found that japanese people conform more than USA and have higher external LoC. This suggests that differences in resistance in social influence may reflect cultural differences

Question 8

Evidence for LoC + resisting obedience

Answer 8

Schurz (1985)
- found no differences in the rates of obedience for his ps with a high internal LoC or high external LoC
However those with a high internal LoC felt more responsible for their actions
This supports the suggestion that feelings of a personal control may be related to resistance to social influence

Question 9

What is meant by social support ?

Answer 9

Thsi refers to the way that the presence of others can give the perception of assistance or solidarity in a situation
- having social support provides am ally

Question 10

Social support findings from Asch

Answer 10

• found that if tehre is no dissenter who answers correctly from the start of the study, conformity drols from 32% to 5.5% but if the confederate only starts to dissent later i the study, conformity only drops to 8.5%. This suggests that social support recieved earlier is more effective than support recieved later

Question 11

Social support findings from Milgram

Answer 11

• found thatwhen 2 confederates paired with the real participant left the study early on, declaring that they would go no further, only 10% of ps gave the maximum 450 volt shock
  This suggest that the creating of a group norm of disobedience put the ps under pressure to conform to the behaviour of the confederates