Locus of Control:
Implications
The locus of control construct (and attribution
theory) has a lengthy history in psychology. Locus of control
is a popular and important concept in many theories of individual
differences “because it has consistently shown a difference
between ‘normal’ and ‘special’
populations” (Elliott, 1997, p. 27). The research
literature has consistently associated a high internal locus of
control (vs low external) with a wide array of positive
outcomes. Briefly, research (Beirne- Smith, Ittenbach, &
Patton, 1998; Borkowski, Weyhing, & Carr, 1988; Elliott, 1997;
Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2002b; Rivera et al., 1998; Snow et
al., 1996) has suggested the following:
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Level of
internality is correlated with academic achievement (teacher grades
and tests) and the degree of effort a student invests in free-time
intellectual and learning activities. The positive effect of
being a “high internal” on academic achievement may not
be direct, but rather, may be mediated through other academic
facilitators.
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High
internals are better able to defer gratification, adopt a long-term
future-oriented perspective, and are more persistent when faced
with difficult and challenging tasks.
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The
positive effect of causal attributions varies as a function of the
primary characteristics of causality. In general, positive
adaptation and outcomes occur when success or failure is attributed
to stable internal characteristics (e.g., ability).
Within-person trait-like characteristics are hypothesized to be
viewed by the student as being readily available when faced with
future learning tasks. Attributions to more unstable but
controllable internal characteristics can also be adaptive.
For example, motivation and persistence are characteristics that
tend to fluctuate over time (therefore are not reflective of an
unchangeable stable trait). These more fluid personal
characteristics can be modified by the student. Finally, the
negative effects of failure can be buffered when the causal
attribution focuses on more unstable, uncontrollable, and external
factors (e.g., bad luck).
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There is
a large body of attribution theory/locus of control literature
focused on students with behavior and learning problems. This
is not unexpected given that: (a) a student’s beliefs
about the causes of success and failures impacts future learning;
and (b) attribution beliefs can be environmentally influenced
(Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2002b). For example, students
with learning disabilities often develop significant motivation and
social problems due to inaccurate perceptions of stable
within-person characteristics that are often the focal point of
causal success or failure (ability and skills). Attributing
unsuccessful learning to personal inabilities has been associated
with a more passive learning style and learned helplessness (where
many students with disabilities develop a failure expetancy and a
dependence on others to solve their problems). Research
involving students with mental retardation has reported that these
individuals may often display an external locus of control that, in
turn, is often associated with learned helplessness and lower
levels of personal responsibility, self-reliance, and
self-regulatory learning. Locus of control is an important
MACM variable and a valued outcome for students with a checkered
history of academic success and failure.
