Taking charge of one's life and daily responsibilities

EXPERIENCE tells us that people are very different, and we have developed language to describe the differences.

Consider two fictional students. One student studies for an exam with the belief that studying will help to achieve a good mark. When this student does well they are pleased with their work and when they do poorly they may criticise themselves for not working hard enough, or make a plan to study harder in the future.

Another student may believe that performance on exams is largely a matter of the teacher's whim and luck. This student may study a little, but without the conviction that it will make a difference.

When this student excels, they believe they were lucky and expect to not be so lucky next time. When the same student fails, they blame the teacher or bad luck, but believe that their luck will be bound to change next time.

How does one describe the difference between these two students? While the average person is relatively familiar with many aspects of personality, the term locus of control is not known to many, though it is a significant part of one's personality and actually has the ability to influence other aspects of personality and to influence the course of one's future.

While the label of this concept may not be well known, the meaning will likely be clear to everyone, for it is a personality trait that we observe in others and ourselves, but don't have a simple way to express.

A locus of control orientation is an individual's perception and belief about whether the outcomes of their actions are contingent on what they do (internal control orientation) or on events outside their personal control (external control orientation). Or, more simply: Do you believe that your destiny is controlled by yourself or by external forces (such as fate, god, or others)? Thus, locus of control is conceptualised as referring to a continuum, ranging from external to internal.

The term locus of control refers to the notion that some people believe control over events resides in them (internal) while others believe that control over events resides outside of them (external).

The personal beliefs underpinning one's locus of control are first developed in childhood and depend upon the parenting style a child experiences, his experiences with success and failure and his exposure to models with varying levels of internal and external loci of control. As adults, it seems to be psychologically healthy to have an internal locus of control. This can also be referred to as "self-agency", "personal control", "self-determination", and others.

One study of 7,500 British adults followed from birth who had shown an internal locus of control at the age of 10 were less likely to be overweight at age 30. The children who had an internal locus of control also appeared the have higher levels of self esteem. People with an external locus of control tend to be more stressed and prone to anger. They may also exhibit characteristics of learned helplessness.

Before jumping to conclusions about the value of an internal or external locus of control, there are important subtleties and complexities to be considered. For example, internals can be psychologically unhealthy and unstable. Sometimes people with an internal locus are anxious, neurotic and depressed. They don't feel competent or effective; especially if they are unsuccessful in their efforts. If people with an internal locus of control don't adopt a healthy perspective on reality, they could start to see themselves as failures. They could start to believe they're dumb, incompetent, or even worthless if they keep attributing every blip in the road to their own incompetence.

People with an internal locus of control don't always empower themselves. An internal orientation usually needs to be matched by competence, self-efficacy and opportunity so that the person is able to successfully experience the sense of personal control and responsibility. Overly internal people who lack skills and opportunity can become neurotic, anxious and depressed.

Externals, on the other hand, may not necessarily be people who feel hopeless and helpless. They can lead easy-going, relaxed, and happy lives. They may work hard and experience success without becoming overly perfectionistic or controlling, instead taking an "en'shallah" attitude where they accept some, but not total, responsibility for their lives.

They don't fret over their own abilities. People with an external locus of control accept life as it comes and let the chips fall where they may.The research seems to indicate that a slightly more internal locus of control is preferable, though there are cultural differences. How then can one gauge their locus of control, and how can it be modified? Both of these questions will be answered in next week's article.

The writer is a private psychologist at Brunei's Riverview Medical Clinic.

The Brunei Times