Locus of Control - Resistance to Social Influence Flashcards
What is locus of control?
A Dispositional factor as to why some people do not conform or disobey authority
What did Julian Rotter do (1996)?
Proposed Locus of Control
Made a control scale to determine whether someone has ILOC or ELOC
Refers to a person’s perception of the degree of personal control they have over their behaviour
What are the 2 types of locus of control?
External Locus of Control
Internal Locus of Control
What do people with external Locus of Control think?
See their future and actions as resulting largely from factors outside their control - LUCK OR FATE
What do people with an internal locus of control think?
They have a stronger sense of control over their lives and believe that their future and actions are resulting from factors they can control
What traits do people with an internal locus of control have?
Self-confidence
More achievement orientated
Higher intelligence
Less need for social approval
How do people with an internal Locus of Control tend to act (with regards to social influence)?
Rely less on opinions of others
More active seekers of information
More likely to resist pressure from others and social influence in general
What are the strengths for the Locus of Control?
Research supports:
Oliner and Oliner (1988) - holocaust helpers
Holland (1967) - Milgram study + measured LoC
What did Oliner & Oliner’s experiment (1988) involve?
Interviewed 2 groups of non-Jewish people who lived during the holocaust
406 people who saved Jews
126 who didn’t save them
Group that saved Jews had an Internal Locus of Control
Suggests people with an Internal Locus of Control are more likely to disobey authority
What did Holland’s experiment (1967) involve?
Repeated Milgram’s baseline study and measures their Locus of Control
37% participants with ILOC showed resistance
27% participants with ELOC also didn’t shock
Supports idea that internal Locus of Control makes you more likely to resist social influence
What are the weaknesses of the Locus of Control?
Conflicting research evidence - Twenge (2004)
May lack temporal validity
How did Twenge make a counter-argument for Locus of Control?
Analysed data from American obedience studies from 1960-2002
Found people become more resistant to obedience but also show a more external locus of control
Challenges link between ILOC and being resistant to social influence
How might locus of control lack temporal validity?
Julian Rotter devised it in 1967
Society had very different viewpoints back them - world war wasn’t that long ago
Questions whether questionnaire developed is still valid today
