Which form of social control is influenced by external authorities and social pressures?

• A. Internal Forms of Social Control
• B. External Forms of Social Control
• C. Control Theory
• D. Retribution

Answer: (B)

External forms of social control operate from outside the individual, using authorities and the weight of social expectations to regulate behavior. They include formal mechanisms like laws, police, and the courts, plus informal pressures such as family norms, peer judgement, and community expectations. Because these controls rely on outside actors and pressures, people comply to avoid sanctions or stigma and to gain social approval. This contrasts with internal forms of social control, which come from within a person’s own conscience and sense of right and wrong, shaped by upbringing and socialization. The idea behind control theory is about why people stay within norms, focusing on bonds and motivations rather than who enforces behavior; it isn’t a form driven by external authorities in itself. Retribution refers to punitive responses once a violation has occurred, a mechanism within the external system rather than a form of control itself. Therefore, the form described here is the one regulated by outside authorities and social pressures.