Internal-External Control and Black College Students' Attributions of Causality for Own and Others' Performance

Abstract

Forty-three black college students, classified as internal of external on Rotter's I-E Scale, were presented hypothetical situations in which their and a black male's semester grade point average was an A. Thereafter subjects made attributions of causality for their own and others' performance. Internal attributions (ability or effort) for own and others' school performance were more frequently made by subjects who were external on the ideological dimension of control (belief in the general role that society plays in controlling outcomes) and internal on the personal dimension of control (belief in own competence in controlling outcomes). Conversely a greater proportion of external attributions (luck or difficulty of task) for own and others' school performance were made by subjects who were internal on the ideological dimension but external on the personal level of control. Internality on both levels of control yielded more internal attributions. Externality on both dimensions of control resulted in more external attributions.