Locus of control Flashcards
What is locus of control?
Refers to how much a person feels that they have responsibility for their own behaviour
How is locus of control measured?
Along a scale with internal control at one end and external control at the other
What factor of conformity is locus of control?
A dispositional factor of conformity
What is internal locus of control?
They feel that they are in control of their own behaviour
What is an example of internal locus of control?
If someone were to be successful at a job interview, they would believe this happened because they had prepared well and has all the skills relevant for the job
What is the link between someone with an internal locus of control and conformity?
They are less likely to be influenced by other people, meaning that they will be less likely to conform and obey
What is external locus of control?
They believe that they do not have control over their behaviour
What is an example of external locus of control?
They would believe that they were successful at a job interview because the interviewer was in a good mood or they were lucky with the questions that they were asked
What is the link between someone with an external locus of control and conformity?
This type of person is more likely to conform and obey because they are much more influenced by the behaviour of other people
What study did Burger and Cooper conduct?
Showed participants a series of cartoons they had to rate in terms of funniness. A confederate sat nearby giving his ratings out loud for some of the cartoons
What were the findings from Burger and Cooper’s study?
Participants with an external locus of control were more likely to agree with the confederates ratings (conform) than those with an internal locus of control.
This research suggests that personality (LOC) affects conformity.
What did Avtgis do?
Avtgis (1998) performed a meta-analysis of studies involving LoC and conformity, finding that individuals with an internal LoC were less easily persuadable and less likely to conform, supporting the idea that dispositional factors affect conformity.
