Obedience 1.1.3+.6 Indv Diffs- Locus of Control (Rotter 1966)

Question 1

Define ‘internal locus of control’.

Answer 1

> Takes responsibility for their actions & believes they have full control of their actions

Question 2

Suggest 2 traits of those with an internal locus of control.

Answer 2

Cope well w stressful situations
Less reliant on others

Question 3

Define ‘external locus of control’.

Answer 3

Feels their actions are down to fate & luck, and the consequences aren’t for them

Question 4

Suggest 2 traits of those with an external locus of control.

Answer 4

Cope badly in stressful situations
Superstitious

Question 5

Which locus of control is likely to be more affected by authority figures?

Answer 5

External

Question 6

EACH-Evidence (2 support, 1 reject)

Answer 6

1.P- Gretchen Brandt supports
E-Was a ppt in Milgram’s study, refused bc raised in Nazi Gm + understanding consequences of following authority blindly
E- S, supports internal locus of control obeying
2.P-Oliner & Oliner supports
E- Interviewed 406 Gms who sheltered Jews from Nazis, found they had high internal locus
E-S,supports belief that they have influence of events in their lives, so high int locus of control
Counter
P- Blass (1991) rejects
E-Reviewed many studies, found no clear link between locus of control + independent behav
E- W,may be other factors leading to obedience + having locus of control just signifies feeling of responsibility for actions when event occurs

Question 7

EACH-Application

Answer 7

P- Yes
E- States those w high ext locus = easily influenced by others
E- S, explains behaviours of why so many Nazi’s followed Hitler’s orders of murdering Jewish community.

Question 8

EACH-Criticisms

Answer 8

1.P- Auth personality contrasts
E-States we obey due to believing in following auth figs due to strict upbringing from parents and displacing this hostility onto minority/ weaker communities
E- W. may be down to multiple personality types, research is too deterministic and ignores individuality
2.P-Reductionist
E-Milgram found situations influence our obedience w 65% of ppts carrying out full 450V shock when in a prestigious university setting
E-W. not a varied explanation, doesn’t consider situational factors outside of personality types.

Question 9

EACH-How?

Answer 9

P - Low validity
E - Locus of control is measure by questionnaires and interviews
E - And so would not be measuring what set out to measure due to social desirability bias from the ppts
P - Low validity
E - Correlational research looking at the relationship between LOC and obedience lacks the manipulation of variables
E - Cannot establish a cause and effect relationship for locus of control affecting obedience or causing different states of obedience and dissent due to EVs