Locus of Control

Description
This is a presentation on types of locus of control, related parameters, internality and time

Personal Effectiveness Locus of Control

Locus of Control
? Propounded by Rotter, Concept of Locus of Control refers to the perception of contingencies between action and outcomes / the extent to which action produces outcome

Internals Vs Externals
? Those with high perception of such contingencies ( believe their actions produce the outcomes) are said to be “Internals” ( with Internal Locus of Control) ? Those with low perception of such contingencies ( believe that the outcomes are not produced by their actions) are said to be “Externals” ( with External Locus of Control)

Causal attribution by Weiner

? Suggests a Stability – Variability dimension ? Both internal and external causes may be stable or variable leading to four categories of factors to which outcomes can be attributed

The Perceived Determinants of Outcomes
Internality - Externality

T

Internal
S T A B I L I

External TASK DIFFICULTY

ABILITY
Stable

T
Y V A R I A

B
I L I T Y

Variable

EFFORT

LUCK

LOC and Stability
? Success is attributed to an internal variable factor (effort) because if a person perceives that his effort (which he can vary) has resulted in the desired outcome, he will engage more in the activity ? Failure is attributed to variable factors( both internal and external ) ? If a person attributes his failure to variable factors he may still persist ? On the contrary if failures are attributed to stable factors ( ability or task difficulty ) he ma\y give up.

Internality - Externality
? Person may perceive contingency as an individual or several individuals( group ); combined with stability – variability dimension we have four dimensions of internality ? Externality in two dimensions – human and non human. ? Human factors are social system, other people etc while non-human are fate, luck etc; we have four dimensions similar to internality

Internality-Externality Factors and Behavioral Modes
Determinants Resultant Mode

LOC and Stability

Internality with Stability Personal Stable Ability Personal Variable Effort Group Stable Race / caste Group Variable Group Effort Externality with Stability Social System Others Fate Luck/ Chance

Supermanship Self-determination Super- Racism Social- determination

Human Stable Human Variable Non-human Stable Non-human Variable

Role-taking Compliance Fatalism Probabilism

Ability
? Attributing outcome to ability may make believe that he has higher or greater ability than most others and may behave like an extraordinary person or a superman ? Dominate others ? May be authoritarian ? Natural right to determine things for himself and others

Effort
? May result in perseverance in a task ? Hence a self-deterministic behavior mode ?Likely to take decisions on matters relating to self

Race or Caste
? Attribution of outcomes to Group may result in an exaggerated value of the group to the individual. May result in super racial feelings. ? A self righteous attitude of members may inspire them to take on themselves the task of converting others to their own views or ways

Group Effort
? Akin to individual variable factor, may lead to social- determination ; collective actions are the result. ? Believe that through collective action they may be able to alter conditions

Social System
? Attribute outcomes to social system, whether political system or work organization ? Perceive individuals as merely roles in a system ? Main mode of behavior is to honestly live the role ? Refuse to question the pressures of the system

Others
? An external human variable factor may be other people who are temporarily related to the individual ? Leaders in various fields, teachers and experimenters ? Attributing outcome to such individuals may result in exaggerated importance ? Individual then complies with what is demanded or suggested

Fate
? Resign themselves to what may happen ? Belief is neither they nor any one else can change the outcome

Luck or Change
? An external variable factor ? May believe in probability of change and hence hopeful or optimistic ? Look for a more opportune time and make efforts hoping things would be better next time

Internality and the Time perspective
Past Internality Future Externality Future Internality Part Externality

Authoritarianism Fatalism Religion Activism

Authoritarianism
?Produces guilt for being responsible for the past ( usually unsatisfactory) and consequently produces a lack of selfconfidence ? Parallelly it provides a way out by projecting a strong image of an external authority a savior who can change the situation ? A combination of dissatisfaction with dependency and a resultant Hope

Fatalism
? People attribute both past and future to external factors thus creating a state of helplessness

Religion
? Opposite of fatalism ? People are themselves responsible for their fate and they can change fate ? May build a sense of guilt like in Authoritarianism but future internality helps in becoming self-directed leading to search for spiritual or religious solutions

Activism
? Approach is different ? Externalises people’s guilt ? Helps attribute past miseries to external factors and develops a sense of internality – they can change their destiny by taking systematic actions ? Successfully activates people for action

Developing Internality
? Self awareness – T Group , TA ? Motivation development – Achievement Motivation training ? Valuing and assertion- clarify values andr assertiveness training ? Reinterpretation- training on reinterpreting behavior ? Success experience- help individuals to succeed to control their outcomes e.g setting progressively higher goals and achieve them

Developing Internality - contd
? Supportive demands – Give the person enough warmth and support to help him make efforts and succeed and put enough demand on him to cope with tasks and consequences ? Social awareness – e.g conscientisation to help people with low self regard ? Collective actions – collaboration



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