Responsibility and Control

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It is important for us humans to know that we must take full responsibility for our actions and maturely deal with any consequences that those actions may lead to. According to Ryon and Gleason (2013), “the first conceptualization of control was developed in 1966 by Rotter,” which is currently referred to as locus of control. Rotter defined locus of control as “the degree to which an individual expects that a contingent relationship exists between one’s behaviors and outcomes” (Ryon & Gleason, 2013). Fournier and Jeanrie reference Rotter’s study by explaining the two types of locus of control: “external control” and “internal control” (as cited in Rotter, 1966, p. 1). The purpose of Rotter’s theory was to examine “what causes reinforcement” whether it be an intrinsic or extrinsic factor (Kormanik & Rocco, 2009). Rotter measured “people’s general control expectancies” by using what is known as the “Internal-External Locus of Control Scale” (Fournier & Jeanrie, 2003).
As stated in the article written by Kormanik and Rocco, “Rotter provided grounded theory on the locus of control construct in a discussion of generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement” (as cited in Rotter, 1966). Internal control of reinforcement refers to the ability to any person can be rewarded by their “own behavior” or their “own relatively permanent characteristics or traits” (Kormanik & Rocco, 2009). While internal control of reinforcement depends on each individual person and situation, external control of reinforcement refers to “factors beyond one’s control” such as “luck, chance, [or] fate” (Kormanik & Rocco, 2009). Through the use of a scale referred to as the “Internal-External Locus of Control Scale,” Rotter was able ...

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...he events that occur in my life. Keeping this in mind, I am aware that every single one of my actions has a possible consequence that I must always be prepared for and assume full responsibility for the decisions I previously made.

Works Cited

Fournier, G., & Jeanrie, C. (2003). Locus of control: Back to basics. Positive Psychological Assessment: A Handbook of Models and Measures, 139-154.
Kormanik, M. B., & Rocco, T. S. (2009). Internal versus external control of reinforcement: A review of the locus of control construct. Human Resource Development Review, 8(4) 463-483.
Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectations for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 80(1), 1-28.
Ryon, H. S., & Gleason, M. E. J. (2013). The role of locus of control in daily life. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

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