Based on Rotter's definition of the personality variable-locus of control of reinforcement-it was predicted that internal 5s in an ambiguous experimental situation would be responsive to frustrative nonreward whereas external 5s might not be similarly frustrated As predicted, internal 5s responded with reduced latencies following nonreward and, early in learning, made significantly more errors on a subsequent complex task Consistent with Spence's theory of emotionally based drive, these same 6s showed improved performance following frustration at a later stage in learning when the task was largely mastered No similar experimental effects emerged for the external Ss suggesting that only the internal 5s were significantly frustrated by the experimental procedures
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