Today In Class
I learned that I have an internal locus of control. In fact, with a score of 22, I scored the most internal that you can be.
The teacher even joked that my test should be framed in honor of my controlling neurosis.
What are you like? Take the test here.
Opposite Day
Unlike Jessica, most things never get to me. I am told that it is due to my absurdly internal locus of control. I just do not allow my emotions to take over in that way.
When something bad happens, I allow a very brief time for it to bother me and then tell myself that I don’t like the feeling so I just stop feeling it. Done and done. I’ve even had plenty of people give me massages and comment on my lack of tension and knots. Happened last night actually.
If only I could teach it.
Also, I am in no way implying that I am better or worse of than others. Having that much control in one’s own head definitely has its cons. I merely read her post and realized how I am so different in that way. Not just Jess, but most people that I know.
Maybe I really am a mandroid?
Locus of Control
Locus of Control refers to the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events that affect them. Individuals with a high internal locus of control believe that events result primarily from their own behaviour and actions. Those with a high external locus of control believe that powerful others, fate, or chance primarily determine events. Those with a high internal locus of control have better control of their behaviour and tend to exhibition more political behaviours than externals and are more likely to attempt to influence other people; they are more likely to assume that their efforts will be successful. They are more active in seeking information and knowledge concerning their situation than do externals. The propensity to engage in political behaviour is stronger for individuals who have a high internal locus of control than for those who have a high external locus of control.
Thoughts for the day.
1. Comment or reblog if you are interested in a murder mystery dinner.
2. Lately I have had a despairing feeling and I think I finally have a name for it. With all of the trouble the government and the world is providing I believe it is a loss of control. We don’t really control our lives anymore, do we?
3. I have decided to increase my odds at gaining ground in the economy. I figure along with hard work and education I might as well play the lottery each week. Playing the odds since they are all against me anyways.
4. I really want a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Also, I saved some GIFs.
Find out your Locus of Control
mindtools.comThis is like, psych 101 - at least in the environment I’ve studied in.
The locus of control is pretty much how you perceive events that happen to you. Part of it has to do with your perception of the idea of being ‘lucky’ and ‘unlucky’. Do you usually see things that happen to you being done by chance, or do you think that you are to blame for everything that happens to you.
You can either have an Internal or External locus of control, and it’s best to have one that’s internal. An internal locus of control is where you tend to believe that YOU are the the cause of most things that happen to you. An external locus of control means that you attribute outside influences, or the world, to what happens to you.
Granted, I can think up a bunch of things that we will never have control over - winning lottery numbers and weather to name a few. The things covered in the locus of control have to do with what we believe is fated to happen. Was it fated that you’d get into bumper-to-bumper traffic today, or did you not check the news to see that there was a 3-car pile up on your highway and you’d be better to take an alternate route?
It sounds kind of weird, a little. Wouldn’t it be better to blame things on the world rather than internalizing it? No. My professor said that people with an internal locus of control are happier than those with an external locus of control. The reason he gave is that when people feel that they have control over their environment and things they do, they feel happier. They’re able to improve if they’re not satisfied. People with an external locus of control often feel everything is out of their grasp. They are helpless in how the world treats them, and that can lead to stress and depression.
An interesting hypothesis
I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, which has been sparred on by a number of posts and articles i’ve read related to feminism.
I wouldn’t call myself a feminist because I don’t agree with a number of the theoretical constructs I’ve read in their finer details. I would, however, say that I am empathetic towards feminists and a supporter of equality and advancing women’s rights and authority in society. However, this is not the point.
The Hypothesis:
I would be interested, from a psychological and sociological point of view in extreme feminist advocates locus of control. My hypothesis is that those feminists who subscribe to an extreme view of feminism and tend to push the theory to it’s limits are those of an external locus of control.
Now bear in mind these words are not researched. There might be research on it. I want to be clear here I have no read it. I am only speculating and musing because it’s a topic that interests me as of late.
I feel like there are those individuals who have an immature external locus of control and tend to take certain small elements of society as insulting and confirm these acts to their personal biased perceptions of a white privileged male dominated society. I don’t deny male oppression and white privilege. I’m educated enough to see it happening. However, not every male’s intent is to subscribe and conform to it. Some do so unknowingly. Some do so arrogantly. Other’s just don’t view the world in the same light. For example. I personally have a strong internal locus of control. I don’t value what other people think of me unless I am looking for criticism to improve myself. If someone finds me odd or emotional or whatever I have been accused of in the past I really don’t care. My thought process being that I am the beholder of my own destiny. My Impact on society is directly proportional to the amount of effort, action, or knowledge I put forward and or withhold. For example, if I do well in school it’s because I studied hard not because I had great professors. If I did bad it’s because I didn’t study enough not because I had bad professors. These are subtle differences in locus of control that changes ones perception about life. So for example, when I see a woman struggling to carry her groceries from her vehicle to her apartment I don’t offer to help because I perceive a “weak woman” or “oh the poor woman needs help” it’s just because I see a person who has tried to take on too much at one time for their “individual” abilities and needs help under these situation specific circumstances. And so my response is to help as any fair minded human beings should be. Unfortunately, there are some feminists who would argue that I helped only because it was a woman. Or I helped because she was sexually appealing and that society’s programming of my innate biology is to help the poor damsel in distress. Not quite my thinking. I course know that I would have helped another guy with the same situation. I would have helped an elderly person, a disabled person, or a dog if it could carry it’s own groceries for that matter. I think the extreme feminists view in such a situation is one of an external locus and as a collective problem rather than an internal locus and individual problem and maybe that they’re taking some situations too seriously, which results in turning off those who care to listen. Of course this is only a simple example. But I have come across some feminists (or i should say self labeled feminists who badly represent feminists) who make every situation including ones as simple as this into a struggle of power between sex.
As a man with an internal locus of control I know my limitations I’m not the strongest person in the world or the tallest. I have no problem asking a woman for help reaching the top shelf at the grocery store. I have no problem accepting a woman’s help carrying a bag of groceries for me to my apartment door. I don’t view this as a power struggle of the sexes. If I had an external locus of control in this situation I would see myself as weak for having to ask a woman for help. I don’t really care man or woman as long as I get the damn cheetoes I want from the top shelf.
ed. just to add to this.
I think those who view the world as the world happening to them rather than them happening to the world are the same ones who subscribe to extreme feminist leanings and overbearingly affective sensibilities with their feminist dogma.
Locus of Control: Are you in charge of your destiny?
Locus of control describes the degree to which individuals perceive that outcomes result from their own behaviors, or from forces that are external to themselves.
My results from this quiz: Internal Locus of Control (moderate)
Benefits of an Internal Locus of Control
In general, people with an internal locus of control:
-Engage in activities that will improve their situation.
- Emphasize striving for achievement.
- Work hard to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities.
- Are inquisitive, and try to figure out why things turned out the way they did.
- Take note of information that they can use to create positive outcomes in the future.
- Have a more participative management style.
The point:
You locus of control says a lot about how you view the world and your role in determining the course of your life.
When you believe you have the power to control your own destiny and determine your own direction, you have a strong internal locus of control. In most cases, this is an important attitude to have if you want to be successful.
People with an internal locus of control tend to work harder and persevere longer in order to get what they want. This is not to say that having an external locus of control is always bad: There are some situations where this approach can work well. The key for your own personal development is to understanding your natural tendency and then adapting it to the situations you are faced with.
Loci of Control
Season 9 Episode 9: The Apology
According to personality psychologist Julian Rotter, a person has either an internal or external locus of control.
George likely has an external locus of control - in his mind, the “whole universe” has more control over his life than he does. Someone with an internal locus of control, on the other hand,takes personal responsibility for his or her own situation.
My capstone is a meta-analysis of research on the correlation between locus of control and marital satisfaction.
I intend to be a marriage counselor, so a topic related to marital satisfaction seemed like a good idea. For those who aren’t familiar with the concept of locus of control, here’s the Wikipedia article. If anyone is interested in reading my paper, it should be finished by the end of April.
