Locus of Control

When I did the Rotter Locus of Control test, I got a 10 out of 23. So, relatively on the lower end and more of an internal locus of control. Internal locus of control is when you believe that you yourself have control over the outcomes and events in life, rather than an external locus of control which means that people believe external forces and things other than their control are what control the outcomes of life. Locus of control is one dimension of core self-evaluations; along with locus of control, there are also other dimensions such as neuroticism, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. I did not know this, and it is interesting to me because it does give a very solid look at how a person views themselves and how they approach adversities and complications they may face throughout life. An internal locus of control will drive someone to believe that they must take responsibility for their actions and whatever happens following them, whereas someone with an external locus of control would blame things such as luck, the work of other people, or other circumstances going on around them.

I think my score of 10/23 was a very good representation of myself. I believe that you are responsible for the way your life turns out. You have a brain and you have morals, and it is up to you to make the decisions and choices that affect your life. I do understand, that there are external forces that can affect you. I believe a sickness in the family can affect how your life unfolds; I have seen this happen to my best friend and I know it happens to a lot of people. I believe that there is bad luck, and sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and things change from how you may have planned for things to go. I was always taught growing up that life isn’t fair and that if you want something you are responsible for getting it. I think growing up with that mantra from my Daddy has helped me get to where I am and has led to my more internal locus of control. While things from the outside can affect me, it is ultimately up to me to make of it what I can and get to where I want to be.