The relationship between perception of locus of control and academic achievement

Locus of Control and Adaptive Behavior in Visually Impaired Children

Locus of control for academic achievement and correlating competencies in adaptive behavior were measured in a group of residential school children of normal intelligence and singularly impaired. There were both low vision and totally blind students in the sample. The Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (IAR) and the new Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) were administered. For the total group, responsibility for positive intellectual achievement events correlated significantly with increase in Adaptive Behavior scores. Discussion highlights the importance of facilitating development of skills of independence to enhance self-responsibility for academic and other life events in visually impaired children.

Late-Stage Educational Inequality: Can Selection on Noncognitive Skills Explain Waning Social Background Effects?

Past research finds that the effect of socioeconomic origin on the probability of making educational transitions decreases over the educational career from primary to graduate school. Some have argued that this pattern of waning is the result of selective attrition, since those of modest social origins who make a given transition may have exceptional cognitive or noncognitive skills while more advantaged individuals may rely less heavily on these skills to continue their education. We study a sample of American 10th graders from 1980 to assess how much the pattern of waning effects is due to selective attrition along noncognitive skills for this cohort. We find that controlling for noncognitive skills does not make the effect of socioeconomic origin more stable across transitions. Still, socioeconomic advantage does not decline uniformly across transitions, and it appears most pronounced at the transition into college, whether accounting for noncognitive skills or not. Our results suggest that origins continue to drive educational attainment even among those who make it to postsecondary transitions.

Locus of Control, Self-Control, and Family Income as Predictors of Young Children's Mathematics and Science Scores

Locus of control, self-control, and family income were investigated as possible predictors of 138 young children's mathematics and science scores. The children, 60 boys and 78 girls, ranging from 4 to 8 years of age ( M = 5.4, SD=1.3) were administered the Stephens-Delys Reinforcement Contingency Interview Scale, the Self-control Rating Scale, the Comprehensive Mathematics Inventory, and a science test based on the work of D. K. Dickinson. Analysis showed mathematics scores were positively related to income, locus of control, and science scores. Mathematics and science scores were negatively related to lack of self-control. Also, science scores were positively related to locus of control. Multiple regression analysis with mathematics as the dependent variable indicated income had the greatest predictive value followed by self-control and locus of control. The multiple regression model of science was also significant, with locus of control having the greatest influence followed by self-control.

Predicting Reading and Arithmetic Achievement with Measures of Reading Attitudes and Cognitive Styles

The predictive validity of eight dimensions of reading attitude, field independence, and locus of control was investigated for 324 inner-city Detroit fifth graders. Analysis consisted of determining the regression of reading and arithmetic achievement criteria on students' responses to A Survey of Reading Attitudes, Group Embedded Figures Test, Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Scale, and demographic variables of age, sex, and race. The results were encouraging since the multiple Rs were not only significant but also accounted for a substantial proportion of achievement criterion variance. The regression equations accounted for the following criterion variance: reading, 36%; arithmetic concepts, 23%; and arithmetic computation, 19%. The Expressed Reading Difficulty reading attitude was the most important predictor in two equations and second most important in the third equation. Field independence contributed consistently to all three equations and locus of control (1+) made substantial contributions to the criteria of reading and arithmetic computation.

The Relationship of Headings, Questions, and Locus of Control to Multiple-Choice Test Performance

This experiment examined the effects of headings and adjunct questions embedded in expository text on the delayed multiple-choice test performance of college students. Subjects in the headings-present group performed significantly better on the retention test than did the subjects in the headings-absent group. The main effect of adjunct questions was not significant, but there was a significant interaction of locus of control group and adjunct questions. For subjects with an internal locus of control, performance in the questions-present condition significantly exceeded performance in the questions-absent condition; however, adjunct questions did not significantly affect the performance of subjects with an external locus of control. The results support the view that headings may promote the organization of passage information so as to increase its general availability, and the results suggest possible differences in the organizational effects of adjunct questions in readers differing in locus of control.

Situation-Specific Expertise and Perceived Control

To investigate the influence that situation-specific expertise might have on locus of control, 387 student/athletes completed Rotter's locus of control and the Dahlhauser Sports Locus of Control inventory. Analysis supported the hypothesis that subjects' expertise within a situation-specific environment will yield a locus of control score significantly more internalized than scores on the more general Rotter instrument. The authors conclude that personal expertise must be taken into account in research dealing with the construct of control. Further, research tailored more specifically to the situation is needed.

The Interrelationship of Measures of Manifest Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Locus of Control, and Depression in Children with Behavior Problems

The interrelationships among measures of manifest anxiety, self-esteem, locus of control, and depression were studied among children with behavioral and emotional problems. Six random samples were drawn from a population of children referred because of behavioral problems that interfered with their classroom learning. Each subject was individually administered two of the following four tests: the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS); the Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory for Children, Form B (SEI); the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children (CNS-IE); and the Reynolds Childhood Depression Scale (RCDS). Results indicated that, within this sample, measures of children's depression, external locus of control, and anxiety all were intercorrelated positively to a moderately high level. Measures of self-esteem were correlated significantly and negatively with depression and anxiety, but had little correlation with external locus of control.

Effects of Self-Concept and Locus of Control On Academic Achievement: a Large-Sample Path Analysis

School interventions are often based on the assumption that psychological variables such as self-concept and locus of control should have a meaningful impact on achievement. Yet research support for such influences is inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to determine the extent of the influence of self-concept and locus of control on academic achievement, while controlling for other relevant influences. Data from a large, representative sample of U.S. high school students were analyzed using path analysis, a nonexperimental research technique. The results suggest that locus of control has a meaningful impact on high school seniors' achievement, that is, more internal students also achieve at a higher level. Self-concept, however, had no meaningful effect on achievement. Further, the pattern of influences of self-concept and locus of control on achievement were quite similar for males and females, suggesting no interaction with these variables and gender in their impact on achievement.

Locus of Control and Academic Achievement

In an attempt to unravel reasons for ethnic discrepancies in academic achievement, this study investigated the locus of control orientation of Fijians and Fiji-Indians and examined its influence on their academic performance. Data on academic performance, locus of control, and social background were collected from 272 Fijians and 273 Fiji-Indians. In comparison to Fijians, the Fiji-Indians showed greater internal locus of control orientation and performed better on achievement tests, despite their poorer socioeconomic background. The relationship of internal orientation to academic performance was significant in both groups but stronger for Fijians than for Fiji-Indians. The results are interpreted as meaning that locus of control, a culturally influenced factor, is one variable underlying the disparity in the academic success of the two ethnic groups.

Selection on the Road to a Career: Evidence of Personality Sorting in Educational Choice

In this study we investigate whether the process of Attraction, Selection and Attrition as described by Schneider (1987) is already operative prior to labor market entry, i.e., in the educational phase of careers. We focused on selection with regard to the locus of control personality trait because of its firm conceptual and empirical relevance in both content and process of choice. Specific hypotheses were proposed as to the sorting of different personality types in study programs leading to different prospective professional careers. The study was carried out in a sample of 158 Austrian students. We found strong support for our hypotheses in that (1) personality predicted specific study choices and (2) personality predicted different levels of rationality in the choice process. In addition, the findings also suggest that tighter matches between personality and study programs could be observed for students making rational choices. The results indicate support for the validity of the ASA model in educational choice, provided the use of meaningful individual differences. Several promising avenues for future research are identified.

A Developmental Analysis of Indian Children's Perceptions of Control in the Different Domains of School Functioning

Indian children's perceptions of control in the cognitive, social and physical domains of school functioning were assessed by means of the 'Multidimensional measure of children's perceptions of control' developed by Connell (1980). In addition, an independent assessment of the children's general perception of control was obtained. Altogether 75 boys and 75 girls from each of standards 2, 3, 4 and 5 comprised the sample. Appropriate data analyses indicated that for each domain of activity there was a significant developmental difference in the children's perception of the three sources of control (internal/external/unknown) and that this varied with their success or failure significantly more often than the external source of control category. These major findings have both practical and theoretical implications.

Teaching cardiovascular physiology with equivalent electronic circuits in a practically oriented teaching module

Here, we report on a new tool for teaching cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology that promotes qualitative as well as quantitative thinking about time-dependent physiological phenomena. Quantification of steady and presteady-state (transient) cardiovascular phenomena is traditionally done by differential equations, but this is time consuming and unsuitable for most undergraduate medical students. As a result, quantitative thinking about time-dependent physiological phenomena is often not extensively dealt with in an undergraduate physiological course. However, basic concepts of steady and presteady state can be explained with relative simplicity, without the introduction of differential equation, with equivalent electronic circuits (EECs). We introduced undergraduate medical students to the concept of simulating cardiovascular phenomena with EECs. EEC simulations facilitate the understanding of simple or complex time-dependent cardiovascular physiological phenomena by stressing the analogies between EECs and physiological processes. Student perceptions on using EEC to simulate, study, and understand cardiovascular phenomena were documented over a 9-yr period, and the impact of the course on the students' knowledge of selected basic facts and concepts in cardiovascular physiology was evaluated over a 3-yr period. We conclude that EECs are a valuable tool for teaching cardiovascular physiology concepts and that EECs promote active learning.

The role of psychological determinants and demographic factors in consumer demand for farm-to-fork traceability systems

Traceability systems are an important tool (1) for tracking, monitoring, and managing product flows through the supply chain for better efficiency and profitability of suppliers, and (2) to improve consumer confidence in the face of serious food safety incidents. After the global bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis affected producers, consumers, trade, and the health status of animals and humans, new systems to help confirm the status of cattle products along the supply chain from farm to fork were implemented in many countries (Trautman et al. 2008 ). In this study, people's overall food safety beliefs are explored with the main objective of measuring the link between their food safety beliefs and their attitudes toward traceability. A comparison is made among English-speaking Canadians, French-speaking Canadians, and Japanese consumers. In the study, an Internet-based survey was used to collect data from nationally representative samples of the population in Canada-English (1275), Canada-French (343), and Japanese (1940) in the summer of 2009. Respondents' interests in traceability systems are clearly linked to their sense that the industry is primarily responsible for any food safety outbreaks. Moreover, it is clear that certain segments of the population in all samples feel strongly about the importance of farm to fork traceability in beef; thus, policymakers may wish to consider extending traceability beyond the point of slaughter as a way of encouraging beef sales in Canada.

Locus of Control and Self-Efficacy as Means of Tackling Police Corruption in Nigeria

The study investigated the effect of two existential-phenomenological counselling techniques (locus of control and self-efficacy) on the reduction of police corruption-facilitating attitudes in Nigeria. Three hundred police personnel from three State Police Commands participated in the study. These participants who ranged in age between 26 and 53 (Mean = 35.4) were allocated into one of two experimental conditions or a non-treatment control groups and as well matched into commissioned and noncommissioned groups. Participants treated with locus of control and self-efficacy (both involved six weekly sessions) showed significant reduction in a post-test corruption measure. Participants in the self-efficacy condition demonstrated a higher level of change than their counterparts in the locus of control condition. These findings and their implications for integrity-based policing are discussed.

Multivariate Autoregressive Cross-Lagged Modeling of the Reciprocal Longitudinal Relationship between Perceived Control and Academic Achievement

Although many studies have demonstrated positive associations between perceived control and academic achievement, few studies have actually explored which of the two constructs is the determinant of the other. There are only a few longitudinal studies on the relationship of perceived control and academic achievement. The present study examined the reciprocal longitudinal relation between perceived control and academic achievement. Further, considering the multiethnic background of the USA, this study investigated how the relationship between two constructs varies with ethnicity. Using a randomly selected sample of 1,500 students from Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White groups in the National Education Longitudinal Study data, Autoregressive Cross-lagged Modeling was performed to get a complete picture of the longitudinal relationship. Results showed a positive longitudinal effect of academic achievement on perceived control across the ethnic groups. Explanations for these findings are discussed.

Employment status and perceptions of control of adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities

This study was designed to examine the relationship between individual perceptions of control and employment status among adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities. The literature implies that one factor influencing perceptions of quality of life is the amount of control the person experiences across various domains. It was hypothesized that individuals employed in competitive work situations would evidence more positive perceptions of control than would their peers currently unemployed or employed in sheltered settings. Surveys containing the Adult version of the Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Scale and requesting information about age, gender, and employment status were mailed to self-advocacy groups. For the more than 200 respondents, there were significant differences in locus of control scores among individuals employed competitively, individuals employed full-time, respondents in sheltered environments, individuals currently unemployed, and all other groups. Individuals unemployed and employed in sheltered settings perceived themselves as having less control than individuals employed competitively. These results are examined in light of quality of life findings, focusing on the need to include choice and control in programming for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities.

Gender differences in locus of control scores for students with learning disabilities

The present investigation examined gender differences on locus of control scores for students with learning disabilities. Scores from two measures of locus of control, the adult version of the Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Scale and the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire, were compared for 77 boys (M age = 16.3 yr., M IQ = 89.5) and 27 girls (M age = 16.4 yr. and M IQ = 91.2). As groups were of unequal sizes, differences between scores were assessed by an analysis of unweighted means, creating a single harmonic mean and homogeneous subsets for all tests. Significant differences were found by gender on the Nowicki-Strickland inventory. On all assessments girls' means were more external than boys'. These results are discussed in light of recent findings concerning gender and positive adult outcomes for learners with learning disabilities and in relation to gender stereotyping and discrimination.

Hemisphericity, locus of control, and grade point average among middle and high school boys and girls

The Learning Style Questionnaire and the Children's Nowicki-Strickland I-E Control Scale were given to 128 boys and girls in Grades 8 and 11 in the La Grande (Oregon) School District. Each subject's previous year's grade point average was obtained to determine the relationships among hemisphericity, locus of control, and achievement. Also assessed, including interactions, were differences in hemisphericity, locus of control, and achievement by sex and grade. There was a significant relationship (of low practical value) between locus of control and GPA only. The difference in hemisphericity scores with respect to grade was significant.