Locus of Control Flashcards
Who developed locus of control?
Rotter
What is locus of control?
How much a person believes they have control over their behaviour
How is locus of control measured?
A fixed questionnaire is given and Rotters I-E scale is used
What does those with a strong internal locus of control believe?
They have a strong control over events in their life and take responsibility for their actions
What do those with a strong external locus of control believe?
Events in their life are caused by other factors such as luck or fate
How can locus of control affect people conforming and obeying?
Those with an external locus of control are more likely to obey and conform as they don’t feel responsible for their own actions
How can locus of control influence independence?
High internals rely less on people opinions. They have confidence in their opinions and remain independent
What type of people are more likely to resist social influence?
People with an internal locus of control
What is a limitation of locus of control?
There may be other aspects of personality that are more important than locus of control. For example gender, assertiveness and high self esteem
What are the three strengths of locus of control?
Twenge et al, elms and Milgrams and Zimbardo
How does twenge et al support locus of control?
He carried out a meta analysis and found young Americans were increasingly external. He compared young people between 1960 and 2002 and found they had come more external. He said this may be due to changing social factors
How does elms and Milgram support locus of control?
He investigated the backgrounds of disobedient participants and found those had a high internal locus of control and scored higher on social responsibility
How does Zimbardo support locus of control?
He claims that whistle blowers show internal locus of control because they are independent
