internal locus of control

n. Internal locus of control is the degree to which individuals expect that a reinforcement or an outcome of their behavior depends on an internal cause such as their own behavior or personal characteristics. The original internal-external scale, developed by Rotter in 1966, proposed to consider internal and external locus of control on a continuous bipolar scale. However, other authors proposed to consider internal and external locus of control as two independent dimensions. Internal locus of control is affected by several demographic variables, such as gender, age, or socioeconomic status. Several studies have shown a positive relation between internal locus of control and academic achievement, but no relation has been observed between locus of control and intelligence. Relations to wealth and education were also found at the level of countries: wealthier and more educated countries showed more internal locus of control. Several clinical populations seem to have lower internal locus of control, such as alcoholics or people suffering from anxiety or depression, and internality seems to be positively associated with the outcomes of treatments.

-JR