Independent Behaviour

Locus of control: individual differences in people's beliefs and expectations about what controls events in their lives. 

Internal locus of control: A person believes their behaviour is cause primarily by their own personal decisions and efforts

External locus of control: A person believes their behaviour is caused by fate, luck or other external circumstances. 

• High internals perceive themselves as having a great deal of personal control over their behaviour and are therefore mor likely to take responsibility for it. They focus on solutions that they can come up with rather than blaming other factors for their failures.

Characteristics:

1. active seekers of information that is useful to the and so are less likely to rely on the opinions of others

2. tend to be more achievement orientated

3.better able to resist coercion from others

• High externals  perceive their behaviour as being caused more by external influences or luck and always blame other factors for their failures.

(see revision cards)

Twenge et al 

Individual differences in locus of control - Linz and Semykina

Resisting pressures to conform

The variation of Asch's line study revealed situations in which pp's were less likely to conform and more likely to behave independantly: 

• Unanimity of the majority: when Asch asked to confederate to give the correct answer and go against the majority, conformity rates dropped significantly and the real pp was less likely…