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Locus of Control

This refers to where a person believes the control over events in their life come from. Some people may perceive control as coming from within themselves and this is called an internal locus of control. Whereas some people may perceive control as coming from sources outside of the person and this is called an external locus of control.

Julian Rotter suggested that people differ in the way they manage stress because they differ in the way that they experience their Locus of Control - in other words, where they feel the control over events in their life come from.

Some people perceive themselves as having an external locus of control, which means they do not feel they, personally, can control events: they see their lives as being controlled by outside forces. Things happen to them.

On the other hand, some people perceive themselves as having an internal locus of control, which means they experience themselves as exerting personal control over events in their lives. They make things happen, rather than passively waiting for them to occur.

Rotter went on to argue that Locus of Control is a significant factor in psychological well being. Feeling unable to control events - feeling one to be a victim of circumstance - is inherently stressful for the human being. Moreover, Rotter argued, because such people experience a higher level of stress, an external Locus of Control can lead to ill health and psychological problems.