Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1997, page 76
appointed Elders and concern themselves with the vital work of preaching and
making disciples. (“Do Restrictions,” 1994, p. 27)
Later, in the same article, in reference to dealing with restrictions in general, WTS provides
this dubious comfort: “Things may not change until Jehovah‟s new world is here.
Nevertheless, what is to be gained from fretting because one cannot do what others can?”
(p. 28). Bergman (1992), in a discussion of WTS, states that
Much concern exists over insuring that the male openly acts as the clear Ahead” of
the house. If it is felt that the wife makes too many decisions, or has too much to
say in the affairs of the house, the husband may not be eligible for positions of
responsibility within the congregation. (p. 246)
Clearly, women are relegated to a position of less power than their male counterparts.
Women are instructed to defer to men both in their personal/marital relationships, and in
the social and religious life of the congregation.
Psychological Issues
Locus of Control and Cognitive Dissonance
Psychological literature refers to an individual‟s source of motivation as the “locus of
control.” Locus of control is viewed as either internal--that is, stemming from inside the self
--or as external, where control is attributed to sources outside the self, such as another
person, group, or adopted philosophy. Studies have shown that people with an internal
locus of control tend to fare better psychologically then those whose locus of control is
external (Pearce &Martin, 1993 Thompson et al., 1993). Having an internal locus of control
has been found to correlate significantly with feelings of happiness and self-esteem (Kopp &
Ruzicka, 1993). People with an external locus of control tend to have difficulty accepting
responsibility for their lives and tend to blame forces outside themselves for difficulties
when they arise (Wang &Anderson, 1994).
Those involved in high-control groups have their reality defined by the group‟s ideals--that
is, their locus of control is external. Winell (1993), in a discussion of fundamentalist family
structure, states:
Doctrinal rules are applied and fear of punishment are used for control. By
adopting such a simple formula, a family can be robbed of the enormously
constructive process of consciously developing family values and mores…. As a
result, children often fail to learn about personal responsibility or how to make
complex choices. (p. 119)
The group dictates what is acceptable behavior, what and who is good and bad, and so on.
Ambivalence, uncertainty, moral struggles, and conflicting feelings are tidily resolved by the
group‟s dictates. For the practiced member, such feelings are repressed before even being
raised to consciousness.
In high-control groups such as WTS, doubt and ambivalence are seen as “moral weakness.”
Should doubt arise, members are exhorted to “work harder” and “have more faith.” In many
cases, the group defines how one should even feel. Certain feelings and thoughts are
defined as “bad,” while others are seen as “good.” The world is perceived in black and
white. Tobias and Lalich (1994) write, “Cults create a world in which all the answers are
known--and the cult supposedly has them. This type of thinking also serves a protective
function, saving members from the anxiety of thinking for themselves” (p. 100). The
individual in a high-control group does not have to struggle to develop her own beliefs and
perceptions because they are defined, interpreted, and predicated by the group. Right and
wrong are known, not discovered. In fact, The Watchtower plainly states that “Adam and
appointed Elders and concern themselves with the vital work of preaching and
making disciples. (“Do Restrictions,” 1994, p. 27)
Later, in the same article, in reference to dealing with restrictions in general, WTS provides
this dubious comfort: “Things may not change until Jehovah‟s new world is here.
Nevertheless, what is to be gained from fretting because one cannot do what others can?”
(p. 28). Bergman (1992), in a discussion of WTS, states that
Much concern exists over insuring that the male openly acts as the clear Ahead” of
the house. If it is felt that the wife makes too many decisions, or has too much to
say in the affairs of the house, the husband may not be eligible for positions of
responsibility within the congregation. (p. 246)
Clearly, women are relegated to a position of less power than their male counterparts.
Women are instructed to defer to men both in their personal/marital relationships, and in
the social and religious life of the congregation.
Psychological Issues
Locus of Control and Cognitive Dissonance
Psychological literature refers to an individual‟s source of motivation as the “locus of
control.” Locus of control is viewed as either internal--that is, stemming from inside the self
--or as external, where control is attributed to sources outside the self, such as another
person, group, or adopted philosophy. Studies have shown that people with an internal
locus of control tend to fare better psychologically then those whose locus of control is
external (Pearce &Martin, 1993 Thompson et al., 1993). Having an internal locus of control
has been found to correlate significantly with feelings of happiness and self-esteem (Kopp &
Ruzicka, 1993). People with an external locus of control tend to have difficulty accepting
responsibility for their lives and tend to blame forces outside themselves for difficulties
when they arise (Wang &Anderson, 1994).
Those involved in high-control groups have their reality defined by the group‟s ideals--that
is, their locus of control is external. Winell (1993), in a discussion of fundamentalist family
structure, states:
Doctrinal rules are applied and fear of punishment are used for control. By
adopting such a simple formula, a family can be robbed of the enormously
constructive process of consciously developing family values and mores…. As a
result, children often fail to learn about personal responsibility or how to make
complex choices. (p. 119)
The group dictates what is acceptable behavior, what and who is good and bad, and so on.
Ambivalence, uncertainty, moral struggles, and conflicting feelings are tidily resolved by the
group‟s dictates. For the practiced member, such feelings are repressed before even being
raised to consciousness.
In high-control groups such as WTS, doubt and ambivalence are seen as “moral weakness.”
Should doubt arise, members are exhorted to “work harder” and “have more faith.” In many
cases, the group defines how one should even feel. Certain feelings and thoughts are
defined as “bad,” while others are seen as “good.” The world is perceived in black and
white. Tobias and Lalich (1994) write, “Cults create a world in which all the answers are
known--and the cult supposedly has them. This type of thinking also serves a protective
function, saving members from the anxiety of thinking for themselves” (p. 100). The
individual in a high-control group does not have to struggle to develop her own beliefs and
perceptions because they are defined, interpreted, and predicated by the group. Right and
wrong are known, not discovered. In fact, The Watchtower plainly states that “Adam and
