Locus of control is an important variable for the explanation of human behavior in organizations. The nature of the concept, its measurement (e.g., Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale), and general evidence for its validity are discussed.
What is locus of control in psychology?
An individual’s belief as to why they are experiencing certain incidents in life or why they are not being successful at what they do is usually referred to as locus of control. Organizations are frequently being affected by the decisions one makes since individual decisions end up affecting the whole organization.
How does locus of control affect supervisory style and satisfaction with supervision?
havior or style and the behavior of the supervisors themselves. It would be expected that locus of control affects both the super-visor's behavior and the subordinate's reac-tion to it. Runyon (1973) studied the moderating effect of locus of control on the relation be-tween supervisory style and satisfaction with supervision.
Is job involvement related to locus of control?
Their results indicated that locus of control was significantly related to job involvement (r = -.2.35), with internals showing more involvement, again indicating greater motivation. Expectancy Theory Most of the job motivation studies involv- ing locus of control have been attempts to validate expectancy theory hypotheses.
What is locus of control and its types?
The locus of control is a person's perception of where their control lies within life. There are two types of locus of control: Internal locus of control. External locus of control.
What is an example of locus of control?
For example, a person who loses a sports game may feel depressed or anxious if they have a strong internal locus of control. If this person thinks, "I'm bad at sports and I don't try hard enough," they might allow the loss to affect their self-image and feel stressed in future games.
What are the two types of locus of control?
There are two main types of locus of control, which together dictate how much people believe they have control of their lives:Internal locus of control: Internal locus of control defines control within one's own efforts. ... External locus of control: External locus of control defines power coming from external forces.
How is locus of control measured?
The most widely used measure of locus of control was developed by Rotter (1966) and measures the extent to which people believe external and internal forces determine their lives. The measure contains 29 items measuring the internal and the external locus of control.
Which example best illustrates an internal locus of control?
In a high status culture, formal communication is preferable and professional job titles matter. Which example best illustrates an internal locus of control? a person with an internal locus of control is "doing" oriented, believes that fate is of little importance.
How do you use locus of control in a sentence?
Unsolicited intervention to reshape a patient's locus of control would be much more intrusive than unsolicited intervention to prevent a patient from smoking. The locus of control in all cases is the activation of the two languages. There is a need to explore the nature and locus of control.
How does locus of control affect ethical behavior?
Those who have a strong internal locus of control take personal responsibility for their actions and thus rely on their own autonomy to determine what is right and wrong. This personal responsibility for one's actions influences their ethical behaviors resulting in them making more ethical choices.
What factors influence locus of control?
The idea that health psychology and Locus of control go together is based on the concept that health may be attributed to three sources: internal factors (such as self-determination of a healthy lifestyle), powerful external factors (the words of a doctor or a loved one) or luck/destiny/coincidence.
What Is Locus of Control?
Locus of control refers to the degree to which an individual feels a sense of agency in regard to his or her life. Someone with an internal locus o...
What are the different types of locus of control?
Most people have either an internal or external locus of control. Those with an internal locus of control believe that their actions matter, and...
Is locus of control a personality trait?
Many people believe that locus of control is something that you’re born with—an innate part of your personality. However, evidence suggests that...
Who came up with the concept of locus of control?
Julian B. Rotter developed the locus of control concept in 1954, and it continues to play an important role in personality studies. In 1966, Rotter...
How can you develop a strong internal locus of control?
Notice when you are self-victimizing or blaming other people for your hardships or negative feelings. Even if it’s true, try not to wallow in sel...
Do self-efficacy and locus of control change over time?
Some research has suggested that one’s self-efficacy can be improved with practice, while locus of control is less easily influenced. There is some...
What factors affect self-efficacy?
People with high self-efficacy also tend to have high self-sufficiency, an essential aspect of well-being. They are high in self-esteem, feel sec...
What effect does perceived control have on health?
There’s a powerful link between perceived control and health . The more that someone believes their actions determine their future, the more likel...
How does perceived control affect the experience of stress?
People with high self-efficacy and an internal locus of control tend to cope better with stress, because they feel like their actions make a differ...
What are the two types of locus of control?
Internal locus of control and external locus of control are the two types of locus of control that are essential personality traits.
Is it better to have an internal or external locus of control?
Both internal and external locus of control have advantages and disadvantages when approaching life and workplace matters. For example, those with...
Is locus of control a personality trait?
Locus of control is considered to be a personality trait by psychologists. It was coined in the 1950s by psychologist Julian Rotter .
What is internal locus of control?
Individuals who identify with an internal locus of control tend to take more responsibility for their actions, whether those actions or the end results are good or bad. They do not accept outside influence for the outcomes, no matter what that is. If, for example, this person did not get back to work in time from lunch, they would think they should have eaten in the office or not gone to lunch altogether. The results of the action are theirs and theirs alone to bear.
What does it mean when someone has an external locus of control?
On the other hand, a person who identifies with an external locus of control looks at everything around them as part of the success or failure. In many ways, they believe in the team aspect more than those that focus on the internal locus of control, as they will always praise those around them for a job well done, even if they had nothing to do with it at all. They are team players.
What happens if your locus of control is external?
If your locus of control is external, it would be easy, even natural, to blame outside sources beyond your control.
What is the goal of organizational behavior?
One of the many goals of organizational behavior is to have a functioning work environment that focuses on achievement, communication and embracing diversity. One can see how the achievement portion of organizational behavior can be impacted by the internal or external focus.
What is the locus of control?
You see, locus is defined as a position, point or place, or more specifically, a location where something occurs. A person's locus of control may be internal or external. An error occurred trying to load this video.
What are the drawbacks of being internally focused?
There are drawbacks to both of these viewpoints, though. An internally-focused person will be hard on themselves and constantly analyze what they did wrong. That perspective almost forces these individuals to be hard charging, driven individuals that at times can assume a take-no-prisoners attitude. Conversely, those that have an external focus may come off as someone who just does not accept responsibility. While they are and can be team players, if the result is not a positive one, they will be the first to complain that something outside their personal control attributed to the shortfall.
What degree does Rob have?
Rob has an MBA in management, a BS in marketing, and is a doctoral candidate in organizational theory and design.
How it Works?
Rotter's work (1954) based on the social learning theory of personality. It is a great example of a generalized expectancy related to problem solving, a strategy which applies to a wide variety of situations.
Why are people with internal locus of control more independent?
Research has shown that people with an internal locus of control tend to be less conforming and less obedient (i.e. more independent). Rotter proposes that people with an internal locus of control are better at resisting social pressure to conform or obey, perhaps because they feel responsible for their actions.
What scales were reviewed by Furnham and Steele?
The scales reviewed by Furnham and Steele (1993) have directly contributed to multiple areas in health psychology. Take for example Saltzer's (1982) Weight Locus of Control Scale or Stotland and Zuroff's (1990) Dieting Beliefs Scale.
What is the best scale for health psychology?
Out of the reviewed scales, The best-known in the field of health psychology are the Health Locus of Control Scale and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, or MHLC (Wallston & Wallston, 2004).
What field is most associated with locus of control?
The field most associated with locus of control is health psychology, mainly because the original scales to measure locus of control originated in the health domain of psychology. These first scales were originally reviewed and approved by Furnham and Steele in 1993; they have since remained an essential part of health and other branches of psychology.
What is a high internal locus of control?
People with a high internal locus of control perceives themselves as having a great deal of personal control over their behavior and are therefore more likely to take responsibility for the way they behave. For example, I did well on the exams because I revised extremely hard.
What is the most important link that locus of control has to health psychology?
Perhaps the most important link that locus of control has to health psychology is Claire Bradley's work , which links locus of control to the management of diabetes mellitus. This empirical data was reviewed by Norman and Bennet (1997) and they note that the data collected on whether certain health-related behaviors are related to internal health locus of control is at best ambiguous.
What is locus control?
Locus control is a crucial variable when explaining human behavior in an organization. The measurement of the concept, the nature and the general evidence for the validity of the concept are discussed in this article.
Why is the locus of control important?
External or internal locus of control plays a very important role for people to sustain usefulness and learning performance. The experiences and knowledge gained by an individual through organizational learning are crucial in increasing the performance of that individual. It is, therefore, necessary for businesses to fulfill learning in an arrangement and use it to improve employee performance.
What Effects does the Locus of Control have on your Health?
Locus of control affects our health either directly or indirectly. The feeling of control over what we do can help us to reduce stress. It also affects our physical health. People with an internal locus of control relate their actions to their health. This makes them more likely to get involved in activities that are likely to keep them healthy such as doing exercises, eating a balanced diet and making appointments with their doctor on regular occasions.
Why is it important to match the internal locus of control with self-efficacy, competence and opportunity?
It is always important to match the internal locus of control with self-efficacy, competence and opportunity. This will make it possible for you to experience a sense of personal responsibility and control. People who are overly internal but lack competence, opportunity and efficacy can become anxious, neurotic and depressed.
What is the term for people who control events outside the control of the external locus of control?
On the other hand, individuals who attribute the control of events to outside causes possess an external locus of control. Such people are known as externals .
What happens if you have an external locus of control?
If you possess an external locus of control then you believe that fate, deities, karma, randomness or other external forces determine your success and what is going to happen in your life. If your locus of control is internal then you believe that your fate is dependent on your actions. In short, people who possess an internal locus ...
Where did the locus of control come from?
The theory of locus of control came from research and observation in clinical psychology. Both the theory and the measurement have been refined to the extent that the concept is heuristically important. Numerous studies of the locus of control have been related to motivational, attitudinal and behavioral variables in the setting of organizations.
What is the internal locus of control?
People who lean heavily toward the internal locus of control are what we call self-motivated or self-driven people. Because they have this deeply-rooted belief that their own actions determine their destiny, they act accordingly. Probably the best effect of having an internal locus of control, though, is felt when dealing with setbacks or challenges.
Why is self reflection so hard?
Because they are victims, they constantly look and point outwards, so true self-reflection is very hard. I suggest taking the Rotter test and see where you score on the locus of control scale. If you lean toward the external, take some time to yourself and look back upon your life. Reflect and try to dissect your mind.
What does locus of control mean?
The word ‘locus’ comes from Latin, and it means place or location. So, the locus of control can be translated as the place of control. Although it might sound like we are talking about where objective control lies in one’s life, it refers to the individual’s own belief about the causes of their life’s experiences.
What does it mean when you see people with an external locus of control doing the same thing?
This means that after a while, people will simply give up on making any changes and accept everything as being nothing but fate. You will see people with an external locus of control doing the same thing, in the same way, all the time, yet expecting different outcomes.
What are the drawbacks of having a strong locus of control?
One drawback of having a strong internal locus of control is that people will tend to blame themselves for everything, even when it is objectively not their fault. More often than not, they will suffer from perfectionism. By doing so, they might fail to observe either failure or bad behavior in others and let them slide, thinking that everything lies directly on their shoulders. Also, people in this category might push themselves too hard in some parts of their life, sometimes to the detriment of the other parts.
What is the best effect of having an internal locus of control?
Probably the best effect of having an internal locus of control, though, is felt when dealing with setbacks or challenges. People who feel that they are in control of their lives will look at setbacks and challenges resulting from their own behavior, action, or knowledge in general.
Why don't people set goals?
As a result, they often don’t set goals or take steps toward improving their skills because, deep down, they don’t feel that it matters. They tend to feel hopeless and crumble under the pressure of difficulties and also experience what is known as learned helplessness. This means that people will simply give up on making any changes and accept everything as being nothing but fate after a while.
Introduction
Locus of Control
- Locus of control is divided into two groups the internal locus of control, this consists of individuals who take full responsibility of their actions and believe they can control how their lives will turn out to be. The external locus of control consists of those who think that their lives or destinies are controlled by nature or luck they also bel...
Individual Decision Making
- In other cases, an individual may make his/her own decisions without relying on anyone or anything but based on what they want for themselves. These decisions are made based on an individual’s point of view on matters surrounding them. “ A behavioral belief is the subjective probability that the behavior will lead to a particular income”(Mathieson, 1991, p. 176). How they …
Locus of Control and Individual Decision Making
- Locus of control and decision making connect in various ways. Decision making as mentioned earlier usually depends on how an individual perceives the environment surrounding them, how they view the environment is based on beliefs that they harbor or on their cultural values. Smircich (1983, p. 1) states that, “the concept of culture has been linked increasingly with the study of org…
Conclusion
- Therefore, in order for one to be able to make good individual decisions one has to be very careful as they will be assuming full responsibility for the results of the decision made. Making individual decisions still goes back to one’s locus of control because there have to factors that influence the choices that one makes. This also affects the organizational behavior of a place because peopl…
Reference
- Ajzen, I. , 1991. The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, [Online]. 50, pp. 179-211. Web. Anon. 2010. Mind Tools. Decision making techniques [Online]. Web. Hampton, A, E. , 2005. Locus of control and procrastination. Web. Judge, AT & Robbins, S. , 2009. Organizational behavior. 13thed. United States of America. (USA): Pearson. …
Internal vs External Locus of Control
- An individual's "locus" (plural "loci") is conceptualized as internal (a conviction that one can handle one's own life) or external (a conviction that life is constrained by outside factors which the individual can't impact, or that possibility or destiny controls their lives). There is a continuum, with most people lying in between. A high interna...
Example
- People with an internal locus of control accept occasions in their day-to-day existence as controllable. To be more specific, this means that they are capable of recognizing those instances where destiny is controllable: for instance, let's say an individual is taking a test for a driver's license. A person with an internal locus of control will attribute whether they pass or fail the exa…
How It Works?
- The first recorded trace of the term Locus of Control comes from Julian B. Rotter's work (1954) based on the social learning theory of personality. It is a great example of a generalized expectancy related to problem solving, a strategy which applies to a wide variety of situations. In 1966 Rotter distributed an article in Psychological Monographs which summed up around a dec…
Measurement
- There are multiple ways to measure locus of control, but by far the most widely used questionnaire is the 13-item (plus six filler items), forced-choice scale of Rotter (1966). This questionnaire first came into the scene in 1966 and is arguably still the best way to determine locus of control in the present day. This does not mean that this is the only popular questionnair…
Applications
- The field most associated with locus of control is health psychology, mainly because the original scales to measure locus of control originated in the health domain of psychology. These first scales were originally reviewed and approved by Furnham and Steele in 1993; they have since remained an essential part of health and other branches of psychology. Out of the reviewed scal…