Locus of control: A proposal for change

Abstract

1':nvit o~rmental control as expressed in the internal-external locus of control construct continues l o remain unchallenged as a major association variablc in academic achievement. Research studies are cited that suggest that internality may well be preferred to externality if one values power over one'h destiny. The writer proposes a peer-teaching-peer strategy that utilizes the low-achieving External as the tutor, a reversal of the usual procedure. The ,assumption is that the External must experience and perceive personal control over another child in order to begin orientation toward a more internal outlook.The locus of control construct dates back to Rotter's (1943) social lcariiirig theory, which states that individuals may be distributed along an internal-external locus of control dimension depending upon the degree to which one accepts pcrsonal responsibility for what happens to him. For example, the individual ncar the internal end of the continuum would fcel that his skill, competence, intcllcct, and ability control his destiny; but for the individual at the external cnd, destiny is a matter of luck or chancc, or dependent upon significant othcrs. For the Internal, then, events arc a consequence of one's own actions and therefore under personal control; for the External, events are unrelated to one's own behaviors in certain situations and therefore beyond pcrsonal control. Requests for reprints should be sent 10 Theodore A. Chandler, LKFCOURT, H. M. and LUDWIG, G. W. The effect, of reference group upon Negroes' task persistence in a biracial competitive game. Jourraal of Persotuxlily and Social Psgchology, 1965, 1, 668-671. LI:FCOURT, H. M. and STI.:FFY, It. A. One man's adequacy is another man's failure. Psychological Reports, 1970, 26, 689-690. LI,;SSING, E. 2:. Racial differences in indices of ego functioning relevant to academic achievement. MCGHXIC, P. E., and CRANDALL, V. V. Beliefs in internal-external control of reinforcements and MOSTELLER, F., and MOYNIHAN, I ) . P. (Eds.). OtL equality of educalional opporluriity. New York: Nowrctir, S. Achievement and popularity as reiated to locus of control across diflereiit age groups. Un-NO~VICKI, S. and BARNIB, J. E$ecls of a structured camp experience 0 t h locus of control i t L childreu. NOIVICKI, S., and STRTCKL.\ND, B. R.. A Ioctls of control scale for chiIdreiL. Unpublished manuscript, self-evaluation for black male underachievers in reading. 4244-A, 1971. academic performance. Random House (Vintage Books), 1972. published manuscript, Emory University, 1971. Unpublished manuscript, Emory University, 1971. Emory University, 1971. Child Developmetit, 1968, 39, 91-102.

Locus of control for affiliation and behavior in social interactions.

“…In earlier research with the more general Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (/-E; Rotter, 1966) it had been found that internals were more observant and socially perceptive during social interactions than were externals (Lefcourt & Wine, 1969). Similarly, Chandler (1975) noted that among children, internals experienced less difficulty in interaction with their peers and teachers in classrooms and playgrounds than did externals.…”

The Effects of Parent Education on Parental Locus of Control and Satisfaction of Incarcerated Fathers

“…Pugh (1993) further argued that the longer one is incarcerated, the more external he is likely to become in locus of control. Investigators have argued that external locus of control can be moved to the direction of internality through intervention (Chandler, 1975;Pugh, 1993). Indeed, Williams, Omizo, and Abrams (1984) found that parents who completed a parenting course perceived their own behavior as more of a causative factor in their children's behavior.…”

Locus of control as a mediator of adaptive behaviour in children and adolescents.

“…The use of positive, selfassuring adult-evaluation also appears to promote a sense of internal control while peer-evaluation inhibits the growth of internal expectancies for control. Chandler (1975) discussed the usefulness of tutoring as a means of enhancing internal locus of control. He presented data which showed under-achieving junior-highschool students who tutored under-achieving second-and third-grade charges, increased in internal control (Bialer scale) after their tutoring experience.…”