Locus of control

Locus of control is a psychological concept that refers to how strongly people believe they have
control over the situations and experiences that affect their lives. In education, locus of control
typically refers to how students perceive the causes of their academic success or failure in school.
Locus of control is a relatively stable personality characteristic that describes how much personal
responsibility you take for your behavior and its consequences.
People tend to attribute the causes of their behavior primarily to either themselves or environmental
factors.
Locus of control has two fundamental forms—internal and external.

Internal Locus of Control

 The person with an internal locus of control is more likely to take responsibility for their
actions.
 The person with an internal locus of control tends to be less influenced by the opinions of
other people.
 Often do better at tasks when they are allowed to work at their own pace
 Usually, have a strong sense of self-efficacy
 The person with an internal locus of control tends to work hard to achieve the things they
want
 Feel confident in the face of challenges
 Tend to be physically healthier
 Report being happier and more independent
 Often achieve greater success in the workplace

As an example, imagine 'Danielle' does not do well in an examination. She may say that it is
because she didn't work hard enough and should have revised more. This would mean she has an
internal locus of control because she sees herself as to blame for the failure.
 External Locus of Control
 Blame outside forces for their circumstances
 Often credit luck or chance for any successes
 Don't believe that they can change their situation through their own efforts
 Frequently feel hopeless or powerless in the face of difficult situations
 Are more prone to experiencing learned helplessness
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.

Strengths Of Locus of Control Theory

Strength Explanation

 Empowering: The theory helps people to reflect on their own actions and think
about avenues for bettering themselves.

 Practical: It is a theory that can be used in clinical and education settings to

help clients and students develop a framework for introspection and self-
improvement.

 Simple: The theory is very simplistic. It provides an easy-to-understand

metaphor for examining your mindset.

Weaknesses Of Locus of Control Theory

Weakness Explanation

 Too simplistic: Compared to other theories of motivation, it doesn’t look

into factors like personality traits, the role of skill mastery, and the importance of
reflecting on realistic constraints.

 Doesn’t account for context: A person doesn’t just have a fixed locus of control. It
would change depending on contexts and situations. You need to go to other theories
to look at the interplay between motivation and context.

 Underemphasizes benefits of social awareness : Sociologists might critique the

theory for ascribing fault for failure to the individual rather than the social factors that
cause systemic disadvantage.