Locus of control and academic achievement: A literature review.

A quantitative review of research investigating the relationship between locus of control and academic achievement was conducted. Two basic conclusions resulted: (a) More internal beliefs are associated with greater academic achievement, and (b) the magnitude of this relation is small to medium. Characteristics of the participants in the reviewed studies (i.e., gender, age, race, and socioeconomic level) and the nature of the locus of control and academic achievement measures were investigated as mediators of the relation. The relation tended to be stronger for adolescents than for adults or children. Also, the relation was more substantial among males than among females. Finally, stronger effects were associated with specific locus of control measures and with standardized achievement or intelligence tests (as opposed to teacher grades). The concept of locus of control, although relatively new (Rotter, 1954), has received considerable attention in the study of individual psychological differences (Lefcourt, 1976; Phares, 1976). Locus of control refers to a person's beliefs about control over life events. Some people feel personally responsible for the things that happen to them. These people are labeled internals. Others feel that their outcomes in life are determined by forces beyond their control (e.g., fate, luck, and other people). These people are labeled externals. Obviously, most people fall between the two extremes, forming a continuous distribution of locus of control beliefs. Locus of control is thought to be a relatively enduring dispositional characteristic, although certainly modifiable through experience.

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