Rotter's Internal-External Locus Research Articles

Glossolalia and Internal-External Locus of Control

A group of glossolalics was compared with a group of nonglossolalics on Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. The sample of glossolalics was drawn from Foursquare Gospel and Assembly of God churches, the nonglossolalics were Methodists. There were 95 glossolalics and 79 nonglossolalics. A two-way analysis of variance (sex by glossolalic status] was applied to the data to determine if there was a difference between the groups. Nonglossolalics were found to be significantly more external than glossolalics.

Locus of Control, Achievement, and Failure among Disadvantaged College Students, a Follow-up

Hohmuth and Ramos (1973), studying a group of disadvantaged college freshmen, observed a relationship between scores on Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control (I-E) Scale (Rotter, 1966) and academic improvement following failure in the first semester. Students who had failing grade point averages at the end of their first semester were much more likely to improve their performance during the second semester if they had an internal locus of control. I t was suggested that among these academically marginal students, perceived locus of control might be an important factor in determining ultimate success or failure in college, the expectation being that the internal students would be the most likely to graduate. Now, five years later, the data show that while there is a relationship between the I-E Scale and college success for this group of students, it is the opposite of what was expected. Of the original grocp of 32 failing students, 21 have dropped out of college (failure), while 11 have graduated, transferred to other colleges, or are seniors expected to graduate in June (success). These students were split, at the median of the total original group, into an internal group and an external group. Of the internal group, 3 were successes, while 12 were failures. Of the external group, 8 were successes, while 9 were failures (x2 of 3.92, df = 1 , P < .05). There is no indication of a relationship between the I-E Scale and college success or failure among the students who were actually passing at the end of their first semester. Students faced with initial failure were much more likely to improve in their next semester if their perceived locus of control was internal, but they were ultimately more likely to drop out of college. It may be important that, while the improvements were often substantial, in only three cases were they sufficient to take the students off academic probation by the end of the first year. It seems .that the internal students, faced with continuing marginal performance, were more likely to seek a non-academic alternative than were their external counterparts.

Locus of Control Among Dutch and American Women Softball Players

Locus of control is a personality variable that manifests itself through an individual's perception of the reinforcement he receives. This belief system is based on a continuum ranging from the perception that rewards are completely contingent upon one's behavior to the belief that only luck, chance, or fate control one's life. This construct has received considerable attention within the realm of psychology, but is conspicuous by its absence in sport and physical education literature. The purpose of this study was to compare the locus of control of highly skilled Dutch (N = 35) and American (N = 44) women softball players. The Rotter internal-external locus of control scale was utilized to determine internal-external orientations of the subjects. Data were analyzed by using ANOVA and product moment correlations. Statistically significant (.01 level) differences in locus of control were found. American women softball players were significantly more internally oriented than were their Dutch counterparts.

Stability and Concurrent Validity of the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale

A high school population ( N = 541) was administered the Rotter Locus of Control Scale in April and again the following November. At the second testing the MacDonald-Tseng and Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scales were given to examine their concurrent validity. Test-retest reliability of the Rotter Scale was determined. Concurrent validity between the Rotter and MacDonald-Tseng scale (as the criterion measure) was established.

Internal-external locus of control and performance on a vigilance task.

Previous studies have demonstrated there are large individual differences in subjects' ability to perform on vigilance or watch-keeping tasks. This study used Rotter's Internal-External (I-E) Locus of Control Scale to resolve some of the variance attributed to individual differences and tested the hypothesis that the internally controlled person is a better monitor on a vigilance task than an externally controlled person. There were 64 subjects who performed a visual watch-keeping task for a 1-hr. period. The results indicated that the external subjects made significantly more incorrect responses and missed significantly more signals during the entire task. The internal-external dimension was effective in differentiating performance on a vigilance task.

Relations Between Embedded Figures Test Performance and Dimensions of the I-E Scale

Relations between an embedded figures measure of field independence and various dimensions of Rotter's internal-external locus of control scale were investigated. The general absence of significant correlations suggests that these variables are essentially unrelated.

Correlation between Rotter's I-E scale and the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility under three sets of instructions.

While there has been little success in finding personality characteristics which are related to hypnosis, the search continues. Recently Young, Pilling, and Dunn ( 1973) using Rotter's (1966) Internal-External (I-E) Locus of Control Scale found that internally controlled Ss (I-E score 6 or lower) scored higher and were more consistent hypnotic Ss than externally controlled Ss (I-E score 10 or higher) under two sets of instructions. The first set of instructions informed S that success in hypnosis depends largely on S's willingness and cooperation, while the second set specified that success depended on the hypnotist's ability. Internals scored moderately high (Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form A) for both sets of instructions. While externals also scored moderately high on the instructions specifying S's responsibility, they scored significantly lower when told that success depended on the hypnotist. These results are consistent with Shor, Orne, and O'Connell's (1962) suggestion that Ss of low susceptibility when encountering hypnosis are more influenced by situational variables, such as instructions. Moreover, the Young, et al. study points to the possibility of a relationship between the internal-external locus of control personality characteristic and hypnotic susceptibility. The present research sought to explore this possibility further. Whereas Young, et al. did not use Ss scoring in the middle range of the locus of control variable (Ss scoring 7 to 9 on the I-E scale were excluded), this research explored the relationship between hypnotic susceptibility and the full range of scores of the I-E scale under three sets of instructions (one neutral set and the two sets used in the Young, et al. study). Three undergraduate psychology classes (designated Groups 1, 2, and 3) were administered the Rotter I-E scale. Following this, all groups were administered the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility on audio-tape. The procedure was the same for all groups with the exception that prior to the hypnotic administration for Groups 1 and 2, the instructions administered by Young, et al. were followed exactly: Group 1 was told hypnosis depends on the hypnotist, Group 2 was told hypnosis depended on Ss ability. Group 3 was read only the instructions found in the tesr manual. The results showed very little relationship between locus of control and susceptibility to hypnosis as indicated by Pearson product-moment correlation. The values were for Group 1 (hypnotist's ability in instructions) n = 26, r = .lo; Group 2 (S's ability in instructions) n = 40, T = .16; Group 3 (manual's instructions) n = 33, r = .18. These results indicated that over the total range of I-E scores and under three sets of instructions locus of control had little relationship to S's ability to become hypnotized. It may be that the locus of control variable affects ability to be hypnotized only for extreme scorers (high external-high internal).

Trends in powerlessness: a ten year follow-up.

This experiment tested the hypothesis that there would be a significant increase in powerlessness scores over a 10 year period. The sample was drawn from a population of college students originally tested in 1964. At the 10 year follow-up, all Ss had graduated from college and were either professionally employed (mostly as teachers) or engaged in child-rearing/home activities. The average age of the 1974 sample was 29 years and consisted of 70 females and 30 males. The test instrument was the adult version of Rotter's Internal-External (I-E) Locus of Control Scale which consists of 23 forced-choice items. There were no significant differences on total I-E scores over the 10 year period. However, with use of the Mirels two-factor scoring system, significant increases in social-political control were found. No significant differences in personal control were found. It was concluded that care should be taken in utilizing cross-sectional findings and that utilizing multidimensional scores suggests different results for previously published reports.

Relationships Between the CPI, MMPI, and Locus of Control in a Nonacademic Environment

Rotter's Internal-External (I-E) locus of control scale, the MMPI, and the CPI were administered to a sample of 100 males heterogeneous in age and education level. Relationships between I-E and the other measures were examined and a substantial number of significant correlations were found. Considerable variance in I-E scores could be accounted for by similar variance in MMPI and CPI responses, but a discriminant analysis failed to enable reliable predictions of I-E from other scales. The findings qualify the interpretation of correlational relationships found in previous research concerning I-E and suggest specific directions for future investigations.

Attitudes toward conflict with authority as a function of sex, I-E, and dogmatism.

This study was designed to evaluate the extent to which Ss' desirability judgments of MMPI “conflict with authority” items would vary as a function of sex and relevant personality variables. Women were more disapproving that men of statements reflecting rebellious attitudes and behavior. Rotter's internal-external locus of control dimension was unrelated to attitudes toward authority. Ss who were low in dogmatism expressed greater respect for authority than Ss who were high in dogmatism. These results highlight the paradoxical nature of the dogmatism variable and support the utility of desirability judgments as a measure of personality.

Locus of control, achievement, and failure among disadvantaged college students.

Rotter's (1966) Internal-External Locus of Control (I-E) Scale was administered to 69 disadvantaged college freshmen. Correlations of this scale with grade point average (gpa) at the end of the first semester and with cumulative gpa at the end of the second semester were nonsignificant. However, for those students who were failing at the end of the first semester a correlation of .49 ( p &lt; 05) was observed between I-E score and change in cumulative gpa at the end of the second semester.

Relationship of cognitive style to locus of control.

The extent to which the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control model and the Witkin Field Dependence-Field Independence model were concerned with the same psychological dimensions was examined. Correlations between the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale and the Group Embedded-figures Test of .102 for 80 males and −.001 for 99 females were found. It was concluded that these are independent psychological constructs.

A psycho-social study of married hemophiliacs and their wives and hemophiliac adolescents and their parents

Fourteen married hemophiliacs and their wives and twenty adolescent hemophiliacs and their parents were given Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (IE), the Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI), the Adjective Check List (ACL) and the Elias Family Adjustment Test (FAT). Age was not related to responses on the psychological tests or to severity. Pearson Product-Moment correlations showed that married hemophiliacs and their wives were significantly negatively correlated on the Succorance sub-scale of the ACL. Adolescents were significantly negatively related to their fathers on Neuroticism (MPI), and on the Defensiveness, Liability and Succorance sub-scales of the ACL. Adolescents and their mothers were positively related on the FAT, and on the ACL sub-scales, Achievement, Dominance, Endurance, Heterosexuality, Exhibition and Succorance. The mothers and fathers of hemophiliac adolescents were significantly negatively related on Counseling Readlines. Differences between the subject groups on the psychological measures were also found within severity and social class groups. The phenomena of role reversal and role failure and their implications for adolescent and married hemophiliacs were discussed.