Locus Of Control

By Dr. Julian Rotter

The Locus of Control is a concept in psychology originally developed in the 1950s. The two ‘loci’, as established by the theory, are the internal and external loci. The Locus of Control represents how a person’s decision making ability is influenced; essentially, those who make choices primarily on their own are considered to have internal loci, while those who make decisions based more on what others desire are said to have external loci. People with external loci are generally more apt to be stressed and suffer from depression as they are more aware of work situations and life strains. Women tend to have more of an external locus than men. A more internal locus of control is generally seen as desirable. Having an internal locus of control can also be referred to as “personal control”, “self-determination” etc. Males tend to be more internal than females.

People higher up in organizational structures tend to be more internal. Internal locus protects against submission to authority and are more resistant to others influence (but tend to be more premature and less sympathetic than externals). Those with a high internal locus of control have better control of their behavior and tend to exhibit more political behaviors than externals and are more likely to attempt to influence other people; they are more likely to assume that their efforts will be successful. They are more active in seeking information and knowledge concerning their situation than do externals. The propensity to engage in political behavior is stronger for individuals with a high internal locus of control than for those who have a high external locus of control.

Attribution Theory, describes the process of people crediting forces outside the self as key factors in determining thoughts or behavior. Example; One may believe cocaine is necessary to complete tasks. In this case, the person is attributing personal accomplishments to the effects of cocaine, rather than their own will. Similarly, one may think they NEED coffee to pay attention. If you constantly attribute your own impact to outside factors, particularly non-human ones, you may become dependant on excuse-making. Attribution theory is also prevalent in gauging the abilities of others.

Find out if you are internal or external locus of control. Take the web survey for free. Visit www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch11/survey11.mhtml  

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