Date of Award

12-1-1975

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Deana Finkler

Abstract

The concept of locus of control has been a widely-researched one in recent years. An outgrowth of Rotter's (1954) social learning theory, it has found application in the prediction of a diversity of behaviors, some, such as achievement behavior and resistance to conformity pressure, of considerable social import. Locus of control has been conceived of as an expectancy variable concerning the individual's beliefs as to the amount of control he exerts over important reinforcements; expectations predicated upon the validation of experience over the course of time. At its internal pole, the construct refers to the generalized expectation that reinforcements are contingent upon one's personal actions. The external pole attributes control over reinforcements to luck, chance, or powerful others.

Comments

A Thesis Presented to the Department of Psychology and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska at Omaha In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts. Copyright Shelagh Emmott December, 1975

Download

COinS