SOCIAL INFLUENCE - Locus Of Control

Question 1

What is locus of control explaining in reference to social influence?

Answer 1

Resistance to social influence

Question 2

Who was locus of control proposed by?

Answer 2

Julian Rotter

Question 3

What are the general attributes of an individual with a high internal locus of control?

Answer 3

• People with high internal LOCs generally are more self-confident, achievement-oriented and have less need for social approval
• More likely to be leaders rather than followers
• Makes them less likely to conform/ obey

Question 4

What are the strengths of LOC as an explanation for the resistance to social influence?

Answer 4

• Supporting evidence from Oliner and Oliner (1988) interviewed 406 German people who had sheltered Jewish people from the Nazis during 1930/40s. These Germans had an internal LOC, which allowed them to disobey the Nazis.
• Supporting evidence from Holland (1967) who repeated Milgram’s study and measured whether participants were internal or external. 37% of those with an internal locus of control did not continue to the highest shock level (showed resistance). However 27% of external locus’s also did not continue. The difference in percentage increases the validity of the LOC explanation.

Question 5

What are the weaknesses of LOC as an explanation for resistance to social influence?

Answer 5

• Conflicting research from Williams and Warchal (1981) found that conformers were less ASSERTIVE than non conformers but the two groups scored the same on a test that determines LOC. This suggests that assertiveness is more important than locus of control in terms if a person will or won’t conform/obey.
• Lack of temporal validity – Julian Rotter’s LOC questionnaire was made when society had very different viewpoints than it has now; the questionnaire was made only 22 years after a World War therefore raising the question if the questionnaire is relevant in today’s society.

Question 6

What kind of explanation is LOC?

Answer 6

Dispositional

Question 7

What is a person’s locus of control?

Answer 7

It refers to the extent to which they have control over their own behaviour (split into internal LOC and external LOC)

Question 8

What does it mean to have a high INTERNAL locus of control?

Answer 8

• High internal locus of control – stronger sense of control over their lives than those with an external locus of control and are active seekers of information and rely less on the opinions on others
• MORE LIKELY TO RESIST PRESSURE FROM OTHERS and therefore likely to show more resistance to social influence
• People with high internal LOCs generally are more self-confident, achievement-oriented and have less need for social approval
• eg. a bad grade on a test —> due to their own inadequate revision

Question 9

What does it mean to have a high EXTERNAL locus of control?

Answer 9

Believing their future and actions are a result of factors OUTSIDE of their control, such as chance or other people (eg. a bad grade on a test —> blame it on bad luck or inadequate teachers)