External and internal CONTROL LOCUS

  • Nov 29, 2021
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External and internal locus of control: what they are and examples

The degree of control that a person perceives they have over her life can positively or negatively influence her health. This factor is known as the locus of control, which can be internal, considered a protective factor for emotional and physical symptoms, and external, referring to a predictor of disease. Thus, depending on whether they have an internal or external locus, people cope with life events in different ways.

In this Online Psychology article, you will be able to find what is the external and internal locus of control and examples from each of them. In addition, we also show you how to work the locus of control with different psychological techniques.

You may also like: Defense mechanisms: what they are, types and examples

Index

  1. What is the locus of control
  2. What is the internal locus of control
  3. What is the external locus of control
  4. How to work the locus of control

What is the locus of control.

The locus of control is a concept that was exposed by Julian Rotter in 1966 through his Learning Theory. In it, the locus of control is considered a personality trait that refers to the

subjective perception that a person has about the cause of events that happen in your day to day.

Thus, the locus of control is the belief that a person has about the power of his own abilities to control and guide the important events of his life. The degree of control we perceive influences the type of behavior what we adopt and how we interact with the environment.

The locus of control is a resource that helps predict behavioral variables, affective and attitudinal. Two types of locus of control can be distinguished, the internal and the external.

What is the internal locus of control.

The internal locus of control refers to the perception of own control of life events. In other words, it is the belief that we are able to freely control and decide over our lives, that is to say, that we control our reality. The degree of control can be attributed to our abilities, capacities, competencies or behaviors.

Some examples of internal locus of control are when we achieve job success thanks to our work, when we passes an exam and is attributed to having studied, or when one is happy and is associated with having work in our care personal.

What are people with internal locus of control like?

People who have an internal locus of control are focused on action, since they are more independent, responsible and conscientious individuals of their abilities. In addition, they are people who have greater security and ability to manage errors. In this article, we show you the different skills of a person: list and examples.

What is the external locus of control.

The external locus of control is the subjective belief that the events that happen in our lives are due to external agents, that is, when we perceive that we do not control vital events because they are the responsibility of external factors.

The external locus of control can be seen in situations where it is attributed to God, luck or outsiders the successes or failures we experience throughout life. One of the examples of external locus of control would be when a person manages to overcome a depression and the power of God is associated. In the same way, another example could be when a career is finished and it is attributed to luck.

What are people with external locus of control like?

People who have an external locus of control are more insecure people, since they feel that life is uncontrollable and consider it more threatening. They are individuals who perceive that they are not in control and this has a negative impact on their self-esteem. In this this article, we tell you how to improve self esteem with different exercises, techniques and books.

How to work the locus of control.

As noted above, the locus of control is a relatively stable personality trait, so you can work with the objective of improving control management and modifying beliefs maladaptive. Next, we will see different psychological techniques to work the locus of control:

  • Meditation: technique that favors relaxation and mindfulness, which is very useful to focus attention on the real causes of life events. This technique favors clairvoyance about the event in which the degree of control is analyzed. In this article you will see what is meditation for.
  • Cognitive restructuring: consists of modifying dysfunctional thoughts or beliefs by identifying them in order to consider possible more adaptive alternatives. For example, when you think that you pass an exam by luck and not by having studied. In this case, it is important to be aware that it has been studied and that the study has had positive results.
  • Self-awareness activities: they are based on knowing oneself in order to identify strengths. The “I am” activity consists of defining oneself by qualifying adjectives, both negative and positive. Subsequently, the beliefs related to negative adjectives would be worked on and the why of positive adjectives would be pointed out to highlight the positive qualities.
  • Self-esteem work: it is key to increase confidence and the level of security in oneself. This work can be carried out through the realization of pleasant activities that make us feel satisfaction. Another way to work on self-esteem focuses on creating healthy routines that promote well-being, both physical and emotional. In this article, we tell you how to have confidence in yourself.

Apart from these psychological techniques designed to work the locus of control, you must bear in mind that if the type of locus of control you have is interfering with your daily life, or causing you discomfort, the best it is go to a psychologist that can help you manage this situation.

External and internal locus of control: what they are and examples - How to work the locus of control

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to External and internal locus of control: what they are and examples, we recommend that you enter our category of Cognitive psychology.

Bibliography

  • Oros, L. (2005). Locus of control: Evolution of its concept and operationalization. Journal of Psychology, 14(1), p. 89-98. Available in: https://revistadematematicas.uchile.cl/index.php/RDP/article/view/17338/18077
  • Noriega, J. Á. V., Álvarez, J. F. L., Guedea, M. T. D., Armenta, E. M. P., & Padilla, M. AND. (2009). Locus of control, self-concept and orientation to success in older adults in northern Mexico. Teaching and research in psychology, 14(1), 119-135. Available in: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/292/29214109.pdf
  • Visdómine-Lozano, J. C., & Luciano, C. (2006). Locus of control and behavioral self-regulation: conceptual and experimental reviews. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 6(3), 729-751. Available in: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/337/33760313.pdf
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