Locus of Control – Meaning, Types and Examples

What is Locus of control?

Locus of control is defined as a degree or an extent to which an individual believes that he has control over the events, which has an impact on his life. It is the locus of control which determines how one responds to the occurrences and whether that person is motivated enough to take any action for or against it.

In simple terms, it is a belief about whether the outcomes of our activities are dependent on what we have done or are outside our control, for instance, in the hands of so-called destiny. In the case of internal locus of control, a person will try to take some action to change the situation or the result.

But, in the case of external locus of control, the chances of doing so are very less as the person believes that it is out of his hands.

Types of locus of control

There are two types of locus of control, and these are

Internal locus of control

While dealing with various challenges in life if a person believes that he is in full control of the outcome, then it is referred to as internal locus of control. As per the study, men have a higher internal locus of control than women and that the degree of control tends to become more internal as a person starts ageing.

Some essential characteristics of internal locus of control are as follows-

1. Individuals with an internal locus of control will in most cases take responsibility for their actions
2. The opinion of someone else will not influence individuals with an internal locus of control
3. Individuals with an internal locus of control are more robust and healthy, and this is why they are eager to go on their own and complete a task to their satisfaction
4. Individuals with an internal locus of control are self-reliant with a strong sense of self-dependency
5. Individuals with an internal locus of control are better at completing a task when they are allowed to work as per their will
6. Individuals with an internal locus of control will work extremely hard to make things work in their favour and achieve the things they desire
7. Individuals with an internal locus of control have an abundance of self-confidence, and this quality makes them eager to face any challenge head-on
8. Individuals with an internal locus of control can achieve desired success in their professional career as they believe in doing things and not contemplating about events and their outcomes
9. Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that it is in their hands to maximize the chance of good outcomes and minimize the possibility of adverse outcomes

External locus of control

While dealing with various challenges in life if a person believes that he is not in full control of the outcome and it is instead dependent on external forces then it is referred to as external locus of control.

Some essential characteristics of external locus of control are as follows-

1. Individuals with an external locus of control will blame outside forces or others for their circumstances
2. The opinion of someone else will influence individuals with an external locus of control
3. Individuals with an external locus of control will not give their best and are often laidback in their approach as they do not believe in hard work
4. Individuals with an external locus of control are not sure of themselves. They give credit to chance or luck for any success which is achieved.
5. Individuals with an external locus of control often feel helpless all the time because of unforeseen as well as uncontrollable forces
6. Individuals with an external locus of control feel powerless and hopeless in the face of a challenge or during adverse situations
7. Individuals with an external locus of control do not have the confidence to change any possible outcomes in their lives

Examples of locus of control

There is both good and bad related to both internal and external locus of control. For example, Andrew was terrible at sports, and in case of internal locus of control, he would have surely failed in his Physical Training exam because of poor performance. In the case of external locus of control, he was able to relax and leave the outcome on fate, whatever it might be.

Mira was offered promotion after three years of work. In the case of internal locus of control, she will attribute the success to her hard work and sheer determination to succeed. In contrast, in the case of external locus of control, she will feel that it was meant to be, and it is the fate that has helped in achieving success. The difference is only in the perception because Mira, on the one hand, is self-confident and self-reliant during internal locus of control and on the other hand gives full credit to timing, fate and luck during external locus of control.

During an important cricket match, Team India lost by a few runs. During the interview, when the captain was asked about the reason, he did not blame external factors but took the blame squarely on the chin and accepted that it was a poor performance that resulted in the defeat.

In a similar situation, when the other team lost the captain told the media persons that they tried their best, but at the end of the day, it was all in the hands of fate. This attitude shows the difference in the perception of both the captains. The first believed in himself and his efforts because of internal locus of control whereas the latter on destiny because of external locus of control

Locus of control is often referred to as a psychological concept that tells us how strongly a person believes in his or outside control over the situations in real life and how someone perceives the cause of success or failure.

In the case of a student with an internal locus of control, he will credit his success or failure to his efforts or lack of necessary effort respectively. In contrast, in case of external locus of control, he will believe that it was not in his hands and external factors like prejudice, bias, injustice, circumstances, fate and luck have played an essential part in the outcome.

Advantages of internal locus of control

The advantages of internal locus of control are as follows-

• Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to find success easily as they take responsibility for their actions
• An essential advantage of internal locus of control is that people will work hard to achieve desired success. This will prove a blessing in their career and also boost the productivity of the organization they are working for.
• Individuals with an internal locus of control will not be influenced by the mindset or opinion of others as their path is defined and clear from the onset
• In case of a mishap or adverse condition a person with an internal focus of control will take suitable action to improve the situation
• Individuals with an internal locus of control will learn from their mistakes and try not to repeat them again
• An essential advantage of internal locus of control is that people tend to find success easily because they believe in hard work and are not dependent on fate for any possible outcomes
• Individuals with an internal locus of control are better at making decisions as they are self-reliant and independent by nature
• An essential advantage of internal locus of control is that people tend to have high self-esteem because they possess the ability to make things better
• Individuals with an internal locus of control do not fall for peer pressure
• An important advantage of internal locus of control is that people will experience greater personal well-being
• Individuals with an internal locus of control engage in healthier behaviour as they are rational by nature
• An important advantage of internal locus of control is that people will exhibit superior cognitive functioning
• Individuals with an internal locus of control display an eagerness to complete tasks and perform to their best of abilities.

Advantages of external locus of control

The advantages of external locus of control are as follows-

• Individuals with an external locus of control are generally happy by nature. This proves an advantage for them because people like these type of people and they lead a great social life
• Individuals with an external locus of control can adapt to every situation very easily as they have low expectations
• Individuals with an external locus of control make good team players as they are good followers without a drive to lead the team and snatch the rein of command from someone else.
• The attitude of letting go helps during tense situations when you need everyone to calm down and let go of things so that it can be started fresh once again.
• Individuals with an external focus of control are unlikely to suffer from anxiety and depression as they do not take unnecessary stress, and most often leave things on destiny.

Disadvantages of internal locus of control

The disadvantages of internal locus of control are as follows-

• Individuals with an internal locus of control believe in direct speaking. They are to-the-point while offering their opinion and this can cause hurt feelings in others
• Individuals with an internal locus of control often sound arrogant to others. Their self-confidence is misinterpreted as pride and conceit and can create strained relations in the workplace
• Individuals with an internal locus of control want to have full control over every situation. They are not comfortable with delegation or sharing of responsibilities, and this can cause problems in the workplace
• Individuals with an internal locus of control are perfectionist by nature that work against them if they are part of a team, and everyone is not working as per their set standards.

Disadvantages of external locus of control

The disadvantages of external locus of control are as follows-

• Individuals with an external locus of control are generally eager to blame external forces for every catastrophe that befalls them.
• Individuals with an external locus of control feel hopeless and powerless and do nothing to change the outcome
• Individuals with an external locus of control lack the self-confidence to give themselves credit for achieved success. They in fact credit all their success to luck, chance and fate
• Individuals with an external locus of control feel as if they are the victim of circumstances and give up faster during adverse conditions
• Individuals with an external locus of control are underachievers, and this might be a case of worry for a business entity that wants to promote efficiency and productivity at all costs

Conclusion

Locus of control has a very high impact on our lives, our actions and how we cope with the outcomes. In general life, it is essential to have a balance so promote your attitude and beliefs accordingly and encourage both internal and external locus of control as per the demands of the situation.

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