25/03/2016

WhatisLocusofControl?

Psychology
Classtutorial
Relatedconstructs

WhatisLocusofControl?

JamesNeill
Lastupdated:
06Dec2006

WhatisLocusofControl?
Isaninternallocusofcontroldesirable?
Links
References

WhatisLocusofControl?
Withinpsychology,LocusofControlisconsideredtobeanimportantaspectofpersonality.
TheconceptwasdevelopedoriginallyJulianRotterinthe1950s(Rotter,1966).
LocusofControlreferstoanindividual'sperceptionabouttheunderlyingmaincausesof
eventsinhis/herlife.Or,moresimply:
Doyoubelievethatyourdestinyiscontrolledbyyourselforbyexternalforces
(suchasfate,god,orpowerfulothers)?
ThefullnameRottergavetheconstructwasLocusofControlofReinforcement.Ingivingit
thisname,Rotterwasbridgingbehaviouralandcognitivepsychology.Rotter'sviewwasthat
behaviourwaslargelyguidedby"reinforcements"(rewardsandpunishments)andthat
throughcontingenciessuchasrewardsandpunishments,individualscometoholdbeliefs
aboutwhatcausestheiractions.Thesebeliefs,inturn,guidewhatkindsofattitudesand
behaviourspeopleadopt.ThisunderstandingofLocusofControlisconsistent,forexample,
withPhilipZimbardo(afamouspsychologist):
Alocusofcontrolorientationisabeliefaboutwhethertheoutcomesofouractions
arecontingentonwhatwedo(internalcontrolorientation)oroneventsoutside
ourpersonalcontrol(externalcontrolorientation)."(Zimbardo,1985,p.275)
Thus,locusofcontrolisconceptualisedasreferringtoaunidimensionalcontinuum,ranging
fromexternaltointernal:

ExternalLocusofControl
Individualbelievesthathis/her
behaviourisguidedbyfate,luck,
orotherexternalcircumstances

InternalLocusofControl
Individualbelievesthathis/her
behaviourisguidedbyhis/her
personaldecisionsandefforts.

Isaninternallocusofcontroldesirable?
Ingeneral,itseemstobepsychologicallyhealthytoperceivethatonehascontroloverthose
thingswhichoneiscapableofinfluencing.
Insimplisticterms,amoreinternallocusofcontrolisgenerallyseenasdesirable.Having
anInternallocusofcontrolcanalsobereferredtoas"selfagency","personalcontrol",
"selfdetermination",etc.Researchhasfoundthefollowingtrends:
Malestendtobemoreinternalthanfemales
Aspeoplegetoldertheytendtobecomemoreinternal
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Peoplehigherupinorganisationalstructurestendtobemoreinternal(Mamlin,Harris,&
Case,2001)
However,itsimportanttowarnpeopleagainstlapsingintheoverlysimplisticviewnotion
thatinternalisgoodandexternalisbad(twolegsgood,fourlegsbad?).Thereare
importantsubtletiesandcomplexitiestobeconsidered.Forexample:
Internalscanbepsychologicallyunhealthyandunstable.Aninternalorientationusually
needstobematchedbycompetence,selfefficacyandopportunitysothatthepersonis
abletosuccessfullyexperiencethesenseofpersonalcontrolandresponsibility.Overly
internalpeoplewholackcompetence,efficacyandopportunitycanbecomeneurotic,
anxiousanddepressed.Inotherwords,internalsneedtohavearealisticsenseoftheir
circleofinfluenceinordertoexperience'success'.
Externalscanleadeasygoing,relaxed,happylives.
Despitethesecautions,psychologicalresearchhasfoundthatpeoplewithamoreinternal
locusofcontrolseemtobebetteroff,e.g.,theytendtobemoreachievementorientedand
togetbetterpaidjobs.However,thoughtregardingcausalityisneededheretoo.Do
environmentalcircumstances(suchasprivilegeanddisadvantage)causeLOCbeliefsordo
thebeliefscausethesituation?
SometimesLocusofControlisseenasastable,underlyingpersonalityconstruct,butthismay
bemisleading,sincethetheoryandresearchindicatesthatthatlocusofcontrolislargely
learned.Thereisevidencethat,atleasttosomeextent,LOCisaresponsetocircumstances.
Somepsychologicalandeducationalinterventionshavebeenfoundtoproduceshiftstowards
internallocusofcontrol(e.g.,outdooreducationprogramsHans,2000Hattie,Marsh,Neill&
Richards,1997).
Links
LocusofControl(Rotter,1954)JamesNeill
LocusofControlGaleEncyclopediaofChildhood&Adolescence
LocusofControlWikEd
TakingControlofOurLives:TheFarReachingEffectsofLocusofControlwebbased
tutorial
PsychologyLabonMotivationandLocusofControlwebbasedtutorial
MoreLocusofControllinks
References
Hans,T.(2000).Ametaanalysisoftheeffectsofadventureprogrammingonlocusof
control.JournalofContemporaryPsychotherapy,30(1),3360.
Hattie,J.A.,Marsh,H.W.,Neill,J.T.&Richards,G.E.(1997).AdventureEducationand
OutwardBound:Outofclassexperiencesthathavealastingeffect.ReviewofEducational
Research,67,4387.
Mamlin,N.,Harris,K.R.,Case,L.P.(2001).AMethodologicalAnalysisofResearchonLocus
ofControlandLearningDisabilities:RethinkingaCommonAssumption.JournalofSpecial
Education,Winter.
Marsh,H.W.&Richards,G.E.(1986).TheRotterLocusofControlScale:Thecomparisonof
alternativeresponseformatsandimplicationsforreliability,validityanddimensionality.
JournalofResearchinPersonality,20,509558.
Marsh,H.W.&Richards,G.E.(1987).ThemultidimensionalityoftheRotterIEScaleand
itshigherorderstructure:Anapplicationofconfirmatoryfactoranalysis.Multivariate
BehavioralResearch,22,3969.
Rotter,J.(1966).Generalizedexpectanciesforinternalversusexternalcontrolof
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reinforcements.PsychologicalMonographs,80,WholeNo.609.
Wikipedia.Locusofcontrol.

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