LOCUS OF CONTROL

PRACTICUMM
Aim: To assess the locus of control of of an individual using
Rotter’s Locus of control scale.

INTRODUCTION
Social interaction is an important part of our lives because it is
fundamentally what makes us who we are and how good our
lives are.
The study of all aspects of our social existence—from
attraction, love, and helping on the one hand, to prejudice,
exclusion, and violence on the other—is known as social
psychology. In addition, social psychologists investigate the
nature and function of social thought—how we think about
other people and how this affects every aspect of our
relationships with them—as well as how groups influence us.

According to G. W. Allport (1954a, p. 5), social psychology is

"the scientific investigation of how the thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual,
imagined, or implied presence of others."

Social psychology is a dynamic field of study. It has a history,

and understanding a science's true nature requires placing it in
its proper historical context. The latter half of the nineteenth
century saw the first appearance of an empirical method for
the investigation of social life.
In the early 20th century, Bunge (1903) and Orano (1901)
published two books on social psychology. They received
little attention in Britain and the United States because they
were not in English. McDougall (1908) and the American
sociologist E. A. Ross were the two early texts that caught the
attention of the English-speaking world.
Indiana University was home to one of the oldest
psychological research facilities. Norman Triplett (1898)
carried out a study on social facilitation here, which is
frequently referred to as the initial experiment in social
psychology.
After the initial impact of behaviorism, a number of other
significant developments, some of which came from outside
mainstream psychology, later guided the development of
social psychology.

Social cognition
Social psychologists typically refer to thought with the more
technical term "cognition." We frequently use the terms
"thought" and "cognition" interchangeably in everyday
speech; However, social psychologists use the two terms in
slightly different ways. Thought is our internal language and
symbols; it is frequently conscious, or at least something that
we are aware of or could be. The scope of cognition is greater;
Additionally, it refers to mental processing that may be almost
entirely automatic. We might be able to understand how and
why people behave the way they do if we can comprehend
cognition.
In social psychology, a method called "social cognition"
focuses on how our social behavior and cognition are
influenced by larger and more immediate social contexts.
One of the pioneers of modern empirical psychology was
Wilhelm Wundt (1897). He used self-observation and
introspection to learn about cognition, or the subjective
experience of people, which he thought was the main goal of
psychology.
Perception is the causal and informational foundation for our
higher cognitive functions. It guides our thinking about and
actions regarding the world because it is our primary mode of
contact with it. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that a
significant amount of empirical and theoretical research is
devoted to the investigation of the intricate connections
between perception and cognition.
Our sensory perception of the world is referred to as
perception. We learn about our surrounding environment
through this experience. The cognitive processes we use to
process information are necessary for perception. For
instance, we can use memory to identify a friend's face or a
familiar scent.
Perception is how we intepret, make thought and process
information that we had gathered in our surroundings as an
individuals. Each and everyone has a thought process and can
perceive our information. With it comes to social cognition,
Social cognition is basically how our perception and gatherign
of information can be altered or affected in a social setting.
How our thoughts and perceptions are influenced by other
thoughts and perception. It's just our brains interacting with
other brains.

ATTRIBUTION
The process of inferring the causes of actions or events is
known as attribution in the field of social psychology. For
instance, we probably make a lot of judgments about our own
behavior and the behavior of those around us throughout a
typical day. A person's internal (dispositional) or external
(situational) attributes can be based on something outside of
the person. Fritz Heider was the first psychologist to study
attribution in the early 20th century. Harold Kelley and
Bernard Weiner advanced the theory further (Ireland, CJ,
1998).

In psychology, the concept of "attribution" refers to

individuals' perceptions of the external or internal causes of
their everyday experiences. Attribution theory is a set of
models used to explain this process (Kassin; Fein; (Markus,
2010)

THEORIES OF ATTRIBUTION

The body of attribution theory is made up of four main

theoretical focuses:
 ⮚ The naive psychology theory proposed by Heider
in 1958:
According to Heider (1958), people are naive psychologists
attempting to comprehend the social world. Even when there
aren't any, people frequently see cause-and-effect connections.
He proposed two main concepts that gained widespread
acceptance: attributions based on disposition (an internal
cause) versus situation (an external cause):
Dispositional attribution attributes the behavior's cause to a
person's internal characteristics rather than external factors.
We, for instance, attribute a person's behavior to their
personality, motives, or beliefs.
When we try to explain our own behavior, we tend to make
external attributions, such as environment or situational
characteristics, which is known as situational attribution.
Situational attribution is the process of assigning the cause
of behavior to an event or situation that is outside of a person's
control.

⮚ The theory of correspondent inference proposed

by Jones and Davis in 1965:
The theory developed by Jones and Davis gives us a better
understanding of how an internal attribution is made. They
say that when we see a connection between our motives and
our actions, we tend to do this. For instance, when we observe
a connection between being friendly and behaving in a
friendly manner. The circumstances under which we assign
dispositional attributes to the behavior that we perceive to be
intentional are outlined in the correspondent inference theory.
We can derive correspondent inference from five different
pieces of information:
-Choice: It is thought that internal (dispositional) factors are
to blame for a behavior that is freely chosen.
-Intentional versus Accidental Behavior: Intentional
behavior is more likely to be attributed to a person's
personality, whereas accidental behavior is more likely to be
attributed to a situation or other external factors.
-Desirability in Society: We make (internal) dispositional
inferences more often than we do about socially undesirable
(non-conforming) behaviors.
-Hedonistic Applicability: If the other person's actions seem
specifically designed to benefit us or harm us,
-Personalism: We assume that the behavior of the other
person is "personal" and not just a byproduct of the
circumstance we are both in if it appears to be designed to
affect us.

• Kelley's Covariation Model from 1967:

The most well-known attribution theory is Kelley's
covariation model from 1967. He developed a logical model
for determining whether an action should be attributed to a
person's (dispositional) characteristic or the environment's
(situational) environment. He argues that people act like
scientists when they try to find the causes of behavior. In
particular, they consider three types of evidence.
• Convergence: the extent to which others act similarly in a
similar circumstance. For instance, when Alison goes out to
eat with a friend, she smokes. Her friend's behavior is widely
accepted if she smokes. It is low if only Alison smokes.
• Differentiation: the extent to which the individual behaves
consistently in similar circumstances. Alison's behavior is
highly distinctive if she only smokes when she is out with
friends. Uniqueness is low if she smokes at any time or place.
• Congruence: the extent to which the individual exhibits this
behavior each and every time a situation arises. Consistency is
high if Alison smokes only when she is out with friends.
Consistency is low if she only smokes on special occasions.
• The Attribution Theory of Wiener (1979, 1985):
The causes and effects of people's attributions for how well
they and others perform on a task, such as success or failure in
an exam, are the focus of another extension of attribution
theory (Wiener, 1979, 1985, 1986). We take into account
three performance dimensions when assigning achievements:
1. Locus: It indicates whether the performance was caused by
the actor (internal) or the situation (external);
2. Stability: Is the internal or external causing a stable or
unstable attribution?
3. Controllability: The degree to which the actor can control
the performance of the task in the future.
He identified skill, effort, difficulty of the task, and luck as the
most significant influences on achievement attributions. The
theory of Wiener has been widely used in the fields of
education, law, clinical psychology, and mental health.

LOCUS OF CONTROL
The degree to which individuals believe that they, as opposed
to forces outside of their control, have control over the
outcomes of their lives is known as locus of control.
In 1954, Julian B. Rotter came up with the idea, which has
since become a part of personality psychology.
There are two types of loci of control: internal and external.
Internal loci of control occur when an individual accepts
responsibility for their actions and has a firm belief that they
are accountable. External loci of control occur when an
individual does not accept responsibility for their actions.
However, there are those who hold the belief that higher
powers like fate, destiny, and gods are in charge of their
actions. There is an external locus of control for these people.

According to Rotter, Julian B. (1966), a person's "locus" can

be internal (a belief that one can control one's own life) or
external (a belief that life is controlled by factors outside the
person's control or that chance or fate controls their lives).

Numerous psychological studies have been conducted on

locus of control. One of the four dimensions of core self-
evaluations, or one's fundamental appraisal of oneself, is locus
of control. Along with neuroticism, self-efficacy, and self-
esteem, the construct is applicable to clinical psychology,
educational psychology, health psychology, and industrial and
organizational psychology. A. Locke, E.; Durham, C. C.
(1997): The Internal-External Locus of Control Scale was
created by Rotter in 1966. The respondents were given pairs
of internal and external items related to everyday situations to
choose from. For instance, one question requires respondents
to select whether people's misfortunes are internal (internal) or
external (external).

RELATION BETWEEN ATTRIBUTION AND LOCUS

OF CONTROL
Attribution theory and locus of control theory are two
important theories in social psychology that are connected.
How people interpret events is explained by these two
theories.

The theory of attribution explains how people connect their

thinking and behavior by explaining how they interpret events
to comprehend the behavior. On the other hand, attribution is
explained by locus of control theory. This demonstrates that
these two theories are intertwined and help to explain various
aspects of how individuals interpret events.
Tam shui kee tony (2010) conducted a research that showed
that the findings of a study hypothesizing that school
discipline problems are a maladaptive response to the demand
of the school environment as a result of deficits in the area of
locus of control and attributional style. The findings indicate
that an external orientation of locus of control and a passive
pattern of attribution remain significant predictors of
discipline problems when other factors are held constant.
Dihoff (2000) conducted a study to investigate the
relationship between locus of control, academic achievement
and behaviour among 5 th grade students. Results indicated
that students with an internal locus of control or perceived
sense of control have greater academic achievement and
exhibit less behaviour problems.

RECENT TRENDS IN RESEARCHES

IN INDIA
When the results of a few recent studies on attribution theory
and locus of control in the Indian context were compared
before and after an educational intervention, they revealed a
significant shift in the health sector,
Priya Alat et.al. conducted a study in 2021 which examined
the effects of two positive psychological resources on the
mental health of Indian citizens during the early days of the
lockdown. The effects of psychological capital and internal
locus of control on psychological distress of people via affect
balance were tested. Data were collected through an online
survey from 667 participants. Psychological distress was
assessed using the GHQ-12, and affect balance was assessed
as the preponderance of positive over negative affect. Results
reveal that psychological capital and internal locus of control
were negatively associated with psychological distress.

Shriya Dixit.et.al conducted a research which focused on

understanding the relationship between internet addiction and
anxiety in the Indian context, amid the ongoing pandemic.
The impact of socioeconomic status and locus of control on
internet addiction, was also examined. The study was
conducted on a sample of 80 females (17-25 years). To
measure socioeconomic status, Modified Kuppuswamy
Socioeconomic Scale (2018), was used. Young’s Internet
addiction Scale, Levenson’s Locus of Control Scale and
Beck’s Anxiety Inventory were used to measure internet
addiction, locus of control and anxiety, respectively. A
significant correlation was obtained between internet
addiction and anxiety for the overall sample. Linear
regression analysis revealed that locus of control and
socioeconomic status do not predict internet addiction. These
findings highlight the shift in the mindset of people who no
longer perceive excessive internet usage as addictive. The
findings also reflect the importance of policy changes needed
to curb the anxiety associated with excessive internet usage
during the ongoing pandemic.

Methodology

About the test:

The present Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale was constructed
by Dr. Anand Kumar and Dr. S.N. Srivastava. The scale
consists of 23 items and 6 filler items and each of the 23 items
was given equal weight but they are not scored. The filler
items are meant to reduce the bias. The participant is required
to tick one of the two statements according to his own beliefs.
There is no time limit. High score indicates belief in external
locus of control (luck, chance, others). The split-half
reliability of the test is between 0.65 and 0.79. The test-retest
reliability is 0.67.
Preliminary details:
Name-
Age- 18 years
Gender- Female
Date of conduction: 14 January 2023
Place of conduction: Applied psychology lab
Material required:
Rotters Locus of control scale
Pen
manual
Rapport Formation: The individual was invited inside the
psychology lab and instructed to take a seat. The participant
was engaged in a friendly dialogue to make them feel
comfortable. The individual was then questioned about their
readiness to respond to the scale. The participant was given
the conduct instructions after responding in the affirmative.
Precautions:
1. It was ensured that masks were worn at all times.
2. It was ensured that the room was well lit and well
ventilated.
3. Informed consent was taken from the participant before
being the conduction.
4. It was ensured that confidentiality of the participant was
maintained.
Instructions: “ written in manual”
 The following institutions were given to the participant. The
test contains 29 items and each item has two options – A and
B. Participant has to read the choices carefully in each item.
Then, the participant has to mark either A or B according to
their belief.
Conduction: A participant was approached and consent of
the participant was taken before conducting the experiment. A
specific time was scheduled at the participant’s convenience.
Demographic details of the participant were collected.
Instructions were then given to the participant. Questionnaire
was then filled out by the participant. After the questionnaire
was filled out by the participant, it was ensured that all the
items are marked. Doubts of the participant were also
clarified. Introspective report of the participant was taken. At
last, the participant was thanked for their participation.

Introspective report: “I was a bit nervous at once, but the

experimenter told me about the instructions and cleared all
my doubts. I enjoyed the scale and was a bit excited to know
about my self efficacy and locus of control”.
Behavioural report: The participant was nervous and was
taking much time to choose the answers. They had some
queries and it was cleared by the experimenter.
Scoring
This scale is a forced choice instrument, which consists of 29
pairs of statements, 23 of which are scored are 6 filler items
(Item No. 1, 8, 14, 19, 24, 27) which are not scored. High
score indicates external locus of control on internal-external
dimension of the scale. In scoring. Only external alternatives
are endorsed. The maximum possible score on Rotter’s Locus
of Control Scale is 23 and minimum being 0.
Mean table
RESULTS

S NO. SCORE INTERPRETATI

ON
1. 10 INTERNAL locus
of control

INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION

The study's objective was to compare students attending
college's internal and external locus of control.
The findings revealed that the participant received a total
score of 10, which is lower than the mean (11.96). This
indicates that the participant has an internal locus of control.
The idea that positive and/or negative events are the result of
one's own actions and therefore under one's control is known
as internal control. A person under internal control believes
that the majority of the reinforcement they receive comes
from their own deliberate actions.
The idea that certain positive and/or negative events are
unrelated to one's own actions and, as a result, out of one's
own control is known as external control. A person under
external control believes that powerful others, chance, fate,
and other factors control reinforcements. (write about internal
control as per the result)
Some studies that conclude the same are:
A study was conducted by Madhu Jain and suyesha Singh in
2015 toexamined the relationship of Locus of Control with
Mental Health & overall Adjustment among adolescent
females. The participants consisted of 50 adolescent
females.The findings of the study revealed that adolescent
females who possess internal locus of control showed better
mental health & overall adjustment pattern which includes
home, social, emotional, educational domains and health
adjustment domain.

Similarly, Andrew McPherson and colleagues in 2017

conducted a study to investigate gender differences in locus of
control. One hundred and eighty-eight participants were
recruited as a sample for the study. The results showed that
women possessed a greater internal locus of control compared
with men.

Conclusion
Write the core finding and impression
REFERENCES
● Priya Alat, Sitanshu Sekhar Das, Alisha Arora & Amrit
Kumar Jha (2021); the effects of two positive
psychological resources on the mental health of Indian
citizens during the early days of the lockdown.
● Tam shui kee tony (2010); school discipline problems are
a maladaptive response to the demand of the school
environment as a result of deficits in the area of locus of
control and attributional style.
● Dihoff (2000); the relationship between locus of control,
academic achievement and behaviour among 5 th grade
students.
● Shriya Dixit , Dr. Suruchi Bhatia & Dr. Houshou Suzen;
understanding the relationship between internet addiction
and anxiety in the Indian context, amid the ongoing
pandemic. The impact of socioeconomic status and locus
of control on internet addiction.