DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AS CORRELATES TO

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL LOCUS OF

CONTROL: BASIS FOR TRUANCY
INTERVENTION PROGRAM

PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL

2023
Volume: 13
Pages: 627-631
Document ID: 2023PEMJ1194
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8354798
Manuscript Accepted: 2023-18-9
Psych Educ, 2023, 13: 627-631, Document ID:2023 PEMJ1194, doi:10.5281/zenodo.8354798, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Depressive Symptoms as Correlates to External and Internal Locus of Control:

Basis for Truancy Intervention Program
Pamela Rose M. Rosana*
For affiliations and correspondence, see the last page.
Abstract
The study investigated the relationship between depressive symptoms and locus of control of truant
students using the mixed method of research. Using the Spearman Rank of Correlation as the main
statistical treatment, the results of the research suggest that the association between the depressive
symptoms and locus of control was not proven yet, anxiety factors of depression show a significant
relationship with respondents’ locus of control. On the contrary, results show that 72% of truant
students are within the normal range of depression level, yet 28% reported mild depressive
symptoms. Nevertheless, interventions for depressive symptoms should be inclusive in the school
Guidance Development Program. Thus, using the results of this study, numbers of recommendations
are made which primarily aim to strengthen mental health of students and prevent truancy.

Keywords: depressive symptoms, external locus of control, internal locus of control, masters in
psychology, polytechnic university of the Philippines

Introduction The concept and terms about Locus of Control is fully

In the field of education, many achievement situations
ranging from the classroom to the sports field, in a
variety of cultures, and by students as well as adults,
have demonstrated that successes and failures are due
to many factors. College students who are actively
engaged in the classroom attribute both their
accomplishments and challenges to ability and effort.
However, there are instances when students who tend
to miss classes suddenly stop attending and drop out of
the class. Thus, the study was formulated initially out
of the pressing concern of parents, educators, and
school management on the issue of habitual
absenteeism while a handful of students were
reportedly battling either depression or depressive
symptoms such as but not limited to sleep difficulty,
drastic weight-loss or weight-gain, and suicidal
tendencies.
In Beck’s Cognitive Triad Framework, he suggested
that depressed students may exhibit reduction in their
physiological ability and cognitive capacity that will
ultimately affect their academic performance, not to
mention that they continually view themselves as fully
incapacitated of academic tasks, hopeless, and
anxious. They put constant blame to themselves for
such inability to handle difficulties in school. Busari
(2012) also states in his research that the depressed
students’ negative views of themselves are strongly
affecting the way they perform their academic tasks
leading to compromised academic potential.
credited to Julian Rotter. Rotter describes that
individuals can construe actions as either a
consequence of their own choices or that of outside
influences or forces. He further explicates that humans
have the full control of their own will in expecting
whatever rewards they get in life and the behaviors
that they will like to display (Rotter, 1984). Upon
Rotter publishing his 1966 monograph, the
anticipations in the individual varieties in locus of
control had become a popular subject of interest in
personality research. The concept of Internal-External
Locus of Control (IE) describes a person’s personal
association of his outcomes in life and his own
behaviors (internality) as opposed to the idea that they
are byproducts of mere chance, luck, fate, or powers
that are inexplicable to their own will and control
(externality). The mention of individual variations or
differences is assessed using survey questionnaires, of
which the most popular is the Rotter IE scale.
Aiken & Baucom (2010) authored researches to
investigate the association between depression and
locus of control. In their studies, they used the Rotter’s
I-E items and their results showed that depression was
significantly more evident among those with internal
locus of control compared to external. Internal locus
of control and depression were significantly related.
On the other hand, not all facets of external locus of
control had significant associations with depression.
For instance, an external locus indicating the presence
of others more powerful than the individual was not
associated to depression. Rather, a trivial event caused
by chance was associated to depression (Zawawi &

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Psych Educ, 2023, 13: 627-631, Document ID:2023 PEMJ1194, doi:10.5281/zenodo.8354798, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article
Hamaideh, 2009, Yu & fan, 2014; Naik and
Sundaramoorthy, 2016). These findings supported the
initial proposal of Rotter regarding people exclaiming
“I feel that what happens to them is governed by
external forces of one kind or another, while others
feel that what happens to them is governed largely by
their own efforts and skills” (Mañibo & Lopez, 2014)
An exploratory cross-sectional data analysis revealed
the significant association of depressed and different
aspects of locus of control (LOC). The study also
discussed the different coping mechanisms that may
contribute in improving depressive symptoms (Bosse,
2017). In a study conducted by Kurtović and
colleagues (2018) involving university students, they
provided evidences showing strong correlation
between external locus of control and depression.
Students with external locus of control showed more
depressive symptoms, more anxious, and more prone
to stress. These actually supported the Rotter’s theory
that the ability to control various aspects of the
external LOC may improve depressive symptoms and
may eventually contribute to overall mental health
improvement. Both studies by Bosse (2017) and
Kurtovic (2018) emphasized the inclusion of
psychoeducation courses in collegiate curriculum to
address mental health coping mechanisms. On a
similar note, Sullivan and colleagues (2016) conducted
a longitudinal study among various age groups and
revealed a significant association between depression
and external LOC. Those on 8–16-year-old age group
were seen to have higher likelihood of having
depression after exhibiting presence of an external
LOC. This research recommended psychological
programs to address minimizing and setting controls
towards any presence of external LOC in order to
mitigate the risk of depression on the younger
population.
All the studies mentioned above provided evidences
linking internal locus of control to lower risk of
acquiring depression and external locus of control’s
strong association to higher risk of depression among
the younger population. An internal locus of control
would yield to positive youth outcomes like success in
school and overall mental and well- being. Increasing
awareness on promoting internal locus of control and
providing coping strategy programs on external locus
of control may help reduce instances of negative
behaviors among the youth. It is the aim of this
research to assess the association of internal and
external locus of control and depression in the
Philippine context and understand how the young
Filipino culture copes while experiencing depressive
symptoms when grouped according to the type of
locus of control.
Pamela Rose M. Rosana
In general, all studies that revealed individuals who
had high internal locus of control has lesser tendency
of developing depression, while adversely associated
with high external LOC, regardless of the locus of
control and depression instruments used. However,
different studies showed various factors which affects
development of depression. Still, there are more
studies to be done to investigate various depressive
symptoms in relation with other factors such as
attendance problems, gender, college program, and bi-
local LOC. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the
depressive symptoms, and its relationship with
students’ locus of control among college students
referred for academic counseling. Specifically, the
study also sought to determine the which among the
depressive symptoms were prevalent and their type of
locus of control. Moreover, the study would also
determine the significant association between
depressive symptoms based on 4 factors (core
depressive, cognitive, anxiety, and somatic) and the
locus of control of the respondents. Most importantly,
the study aimed to develop a truancy intervention
program based on the results that would be yielded.
Methodology
The researcher used the mixed method, a type of
research that involves both quantitative and qualitative
approaches. Quantitative approach was employed in
this study through the administration of standardized
tests. Qualitative approach was utilized using the
interview method, which served as a secondary source
of data. The quantitative section will provide a
numerical description of the sample and analysis of the
main subjects of interest, while the qualitative
approach will provide supplementary support on the
quantitative results, with additional in-depth and more
detailed discussions of the topics.
Participant of the Study
Participants of this study were referred students who
were reported to have committed recurrent tardiness or
frequent absences in classes. A total of 81 referred
truant students from different college programs of STI
Sta. Mesa College participated in the study. The study
used purposive sampling technique, through referral
method for determining the sample size of the study.
The researcher only interviewed students who got a
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Research Article
Zung Rating Score of 50 and above, categorized by the
Zung’s Scale as “Mildly Depressive” (tendency) for
in-depth analyses and counseling intervention (as part
of the Guidance and Counseling process of the school
under the follow-up services).
Instruments
The two standardized tests namely, the Zung-Rating
Depression Scale (Zung SRDS) and the Rotter’s Locus
of Control Scale (Rotter’s Scale) were both publicly
shared on the internet, but the researcher notably
sought permission from the owners of the website-
sources of the said tests. The researcher sought
permission from the website where the said scales
were publicly shared.
The Zung Depression Self-Rating scale is a 20-item
questionnaire, which measures symptoms linked to
depression. In addition, the scale can be used as a
screening tool, monitor for changes, and clinical
research purposes. Respondents are given a 4-point
scale to react to positive or negative statements.
Approximately 10 minutes is required to complete the
test. Scores on the test range from 20 through 80. The
scores fall into four ranges, namely the normal range
with scores 20 to 44; the mildly depressed range with
45 to 59 scores; the moderately depressed which
scores range from 60 to 69, and; the severely
depressed which scores range from 70 and above. The
factor core depressive is scored from survey items 1, 3,
6, 14, 17, 18, 19 and 20, where the minimum score is 8
and the maximum score is 32. The cognitive factor is
scored from items 10, 11, 12, and 16, where the
minimum score is 4 and the maximum score is 16. The
anxiety factor is scored from items 4, 13 and 15, where
the minimum score is 3 and the maximum score is 12.
The last factor, the somatic factor is scored from items
5, 7 and 9, where the minimum score is 3 and the
maximum score is 12.
Rotter developed a 29-item scale to assess whether a
person tends to think situations and events are under
their own control or under the control of external
influences. This scale is a forced-choice paradigm in
which a person chooses between an internal or external
interpretation. The 23 items evaluate locus of control
and six items, namely items numbers 1, 8, 14, 19, 24,
and 27, chosen neutrally to support the effects of social
desirability of the given scale. Among the 23 items
used in scoring each a choice equals one score and B
choice gets a zero; therefore, maximum and minimum
scores in these scales would be 23 and 0, respectively.
A total score of each person represents the type and
degree of locus of control. The scores fall into three
Pamela Rose M. Rosana
possible interpretations, where high scores from 14
and above signifies external locus of control, and score
from 8 and below signifies internal locus of control.
As for the study aimed to show the presence of bi-local
or the combination of the external and internal locus of
control, such would be shown by mid scores ranging
from 9 to 13.
Data Gathering Procedure
The respondents would be Filipino college students
currently enrolled in STI Academic Center Sta. Mesa
during the time of the study, which would be the
second term of the Academic Year 2018-2019
(November 2018 – April 2019). Only referred students
were the candidate respondents of the study. The
gathering of data begins with the referral of students to
the Guidance Department, then the Guidance Officer
will summon referred students, which will be initially
labeled as having attendance problems characterized
by either recurrent tardiness or frequent absences from
classes. Then, students referred for academic
counseling/advising would initially undergo self-
assessment of depressive symptoms and type of locus
of control using two standardized tests – Rotter’s I-E
Locus of Control Scale and Zung Self-Rating
Depression Scale. Finally, chosen students underwent
interviews to further process their responses to the
self-assessments. However, students with prior
medical conditions such as thyroid problems, vitamin
D deficiency, or others that primarily cause depressive
symptoms will not be selected for the interview except
otherwise the said medical condition is a comorbid
condition of depression.
Statistical Treatment of Data
The statistical treatment utilized to answer the problem
statement was computed using the Statistical Package
for Social Sciences (SPSS) when yielded p-values
should not exceed 0.05. Percentages were computed to
define the respondents’ profile. Each scale was
combined to acquire the overall score to assess
depressive symptoms. The researcher determined the
maximum and minimum scores per factor, then divide
it by four to identify the number of respondents for
normal range, mildly depressed, moderately depressed,
and severely depressed. Moreover, to assess the locus
of control, total scores were derived from the given
individual scales. The researcher used the scores that
are one standard deviation above the mean to classify
the high scores, whereas one standard deviation below
the mean was low. Spearman Correlation Test was
utilized to determine the significant relationship
between factors of Depression and locus of control and
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Research Article
the Shapiro Wilk Test was used to identify the
normality of the data distribution using following
formula.
Results and Discussion
From the analysis of data, results show that 68 percent
experienced mild depressive symptoms, where 46
percent of participants experienced mild cognitive
depressive factors, 42 percent of respondents reported
had mild anxiety factor, 44 percent of the respondents
experienced mild somatic depressive, and overall
depression scale results that 72 percent of the
respondents are within the normal range.
Based on interviews with students who overall
categorized experiencing mild to moderate signs of
depressive symptoms, 7 out of 12 of interviewees and
19 percent of the entire population of truant students
reported that recurrent feelings of loneliness were
mostly based on relational problems with family
members, loved ones or peers. Moreover, 2 out of 12
interviewees shared that dysfunctional family
relationships, and majority of the interviewees
mentioned the impact of financial loss on dynamics of
family relationships. It could be inferred that more
than half of the referred students for truancy
experienced main signs of depression such as feeling
of intermittent loneliness, crying spells, lack of
interests, and sporadic state of hopelessness. Madu
(2018) supported on a study that students who
experienced depressive symptoms was associated with
a lower GPA and reported missing classes, test,
assignments, and even dropped more courses.
However, in a more recent study by Leach et al.,
(2017), a significant adverse association was found
between self-reported symptoms of depression and
performance on academic. In addition, sample with
reported depressive symptoms on the moderate levels
showed low academic performance compared to
sample with reported normal and minimal depression.
As for the locus of control, results also indicated that
62 percent of the students referred for truancy have
inclination on both internal and external locus of
control or bi-local. Such result shows that majority of
the respondents reported for truancy views life
outcome was brought by both their own behaviors
(internality) and other external factors such as luck,
destiny, or supernatural influences beyond one’s
understanding (externality). On the other hand, it is
noteworthy to determine that 21 percent of the
respondents have inclination the external locus of
control, which connotes that such students put regard
Pamela Rose M. Rosana
on external influences such as powerful individuals,
environment, and events controlling their lives. It is
evident based on academic counseling with students
reported with truancy that they perceived both external
and internal factors which influence their control in
life. According to Stewart (2017) on his article on
eHow UK, said that extreme inclination on either type
of locus may lead to maladjustment which may cause
depression. This study found the existence of the third
type of locus of control, however studies about bi-local
of control are limited especially within the Philippine
context. Thus, is premature to conclude that
individuals with such type of locus of control are
psychological well off that the internals or externals.
Therefore, it is recommended to investigate more on
the bi-local of control as another type on future
researches.
Results also show that there is no proven linear
association between the external and overall
depression (r=-.008, p=0955 > 0.05). Further research
is recommended to determine any existing association,
or moreover, other factors may need to be considered
to explain overall depression as the external locus of
control may not be a contributing factor at all in
explaining overall depression. Same explanations hold
true for bi-local where correlation coefficient is almost
negligible (r=-.008, p=.955). Moreover, there is a low
adverse association between internal locus of control
and overall depression (r=-.346, p=0.226). Such results
imply that as the scores in internal locus of control
increases, overall depression decreases and vice versa.
However, further research is recommended to
conclude significance of association.
Results also indicated that the anxiety factors of
depression have the significant relationship with
respondents’ locus of control (r=0.234, p=.035 < 0.05),
unlike other factors like the core depression, cognitive,
and somatic suggest insignificant association. Based
on interviews and counseling with referred students,
boredom in classes and school activities was also one
of the main contributing factors for truancy, and not
necessarily depressive symptoms. Boredom among
students has been proven associated with vast negative
consequences like poor academic achievement,
dissatisfaction in the school system, and truancy. In a
study by Mann and Robinson (2009), involving 211
university students, majority of students who found
boredom in the middle of lectures and 30% deemed
found lectures boring at all. School systems and
courses where class lecture is the main delivery of
teaching would find such results would bring adverse
effects on learners’ academic performance.
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Research Article
Conclusion
In conclusion, students reported for truancy do
experience depressive symptoms yet still within the
normal range. However, few students experience mild
depressive symptoms that are need not to be disregard
by the school authorities. Furthermore, it was found
out that truant students experience anxiety factors of
depression such as irrational irritability and sleeping
difficulty. Yet, it is premature to conclude that
depression is the main reason for such anxiety
symptoms. Therefore, the school is suggested to
reinforce proposed truancy program, support
psychological services such as testing, and strengthen
referral and counseling programs. In addition, bi-local
or combination of both internal and external locus of
control should be further investigated and the
relationship of bi-local with depressive symptoms and
overall depression. Though results of the study yielded
no association between overall depression of
respondents and their locus of control, despite
numerous studies and literature with opposing results.
Thus, it is necessary to widen the population of the
said study to further investigate and support related
studies. Moreover, it is recommended to conduct
qualitative approach specifically through one-on-one
interviews, and focus group analysis, to gain in-depth
analysis of student truancy’s links with clinical
depression and its relationship with locus of control.
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Affiliations and Corresponding Information
Pamela Rose M. Rosana
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
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