Worksheet Locus of Control

Worksheet 4.2 Locus of Control Scale (Rot (Rotter ter 1966) For each item, circle A or B. Do not skip any items. Select the answer you feel is most appropriate 1. A) Children get into trouble because their parents punish them too much B) The trouble with most children nowadays is that their parents are too easy on them 2. A) Many of the unhappy things in people’s lives are partly due to bad luck B) People’s misfortunes result from the mistakes they make 3. A) one of the major reasons why we have wars is because people don’t take enough interest in politics B) There will always be wars, no matter how hard people try to prevent them 4. A) In the long run people get the respect they deserve in this world B) Unfortunately, an individual’s worth often passes unrecognized no matter how hard he tries 5. A) The idea that teachers are unfair to students is nonsense B) Most students don’t realize the extent to which their grades are influenced by accidental happenings 6. A) Without the right breaks one cannot be an effective leader B) Capable people who fail to become leaders have not taken advantage of their opportunities 7. A) No matter how hard you try, some people just don’t like you B) People who can’t get others to like them don’t understand how to get along with others 8. A) Heredity plays the major role in determining one’s personality B) It is one’s experiences in life that determine what one is like 9. A) I have often found that what is going to happen will happen B) Trusting to fate has never turned out as well for me as making a decision to take a definite course of action 10. A) In the case of the well prepared student, there is rarely, if ever, such a thing as a unfair test B) Many times exam questions tend to be so unrelated to course work that studying is really useless 11. A) Becoming a success is a matter of hard work; luck has little or nothing to do with it B) Getting a good job depends mainly on being in the right place at the right time 12. A) The average citizen can have an influence in government decisions B) This world is run by the few people in power, and there is not much the little guy can do about it 13. A) When I make plans, I am almost certain that I can make them work B) It is not always wise to plan too far ahead because many things turn out to be a matter of good or bad fortune anyhow 14. A) There are certain people who are just no good B) There is good in everybody 15. A) In my case, getting what I want has little or nothing to do with luck B) Many times we might just as well decide what to do by flipping a coin 16. A) Who gets to be the boss often depends on who was lucky enough to be in the right place first B) Getting people to do the right thing depends on ability; luck has little or nothing to do with it 17. A) As far as world affairs are concerned, most of us are the victims of forces we can neither understand or control B) By taking an active part in political and social affairs, the people can control world events 18. A) Most people don’t realize the extent to which their lives are controlled by accidental happenings B) There really is no such thing as “luck” 19. A) One should always be willing to admit mistakes B) It is usually best to cover up one’s mistakes 20. A) It is hard to know whether or not a person really likes you B) How many friends you have depends on how nice a person you are 21. A) In the long run the bad things that happen to us are balanced by the good ones B) Most misfortunes are the result of lack of ability, ignorance, laziness or all three 22. A) With enough effort we can wipe out political corruption B) It is difficult for people to have control over the things politicians do in office 23. A) Sometimes I can’t understand how teachers arrive at the grades they give B) There is a direct connection between how hard I study and the grades I get 24. A) A good leader expects people to decide for themselves what they should do B) A good leader makes it clear to everybody what their jobs are 25. A) Many times I feel that I have little influence over the things that happen to me B) It is impossible for me to believe that chance or luck plays an important role in my life 26. A) People are lonely because they don’t try to be friendly B) There’s not much use in trying too hard to please people, if they like you they like you 27. A) There is too much emphasis on athletics in high school B) Team sports are an excellent way to build character 28. A) What happens to me is my own doing B) Sometimes I feel that I don't have enough control over the direction my life is taking 29. A) Most of the time I can’t understand why politicians behave they way they do B) In the long run the people are responsible for bad government on a national level, as well as on a local level NOTE: Six answers are not factored into your score: 1,8,14,19,24, and 27. Score 1 point for each of the following: 2B 3A 4A 5A 6B 7B 16B 17B 18B 20B 21B 22 A 23B 25B 9B 10 A 11A 26 A 12 28 A A 13 29B A 15 A My total score is ____________ (0-23) External = 11 and below with a lower score (closer to 0) reflects more externality; people with an external locus of control are more likely to believe that external circumstances— ranging from other people’s behaviour to fate or luck—are the primary explanation for what happens to them in life. Internal = 13 or higher with a higher score (closer to 23) reflects more internality; people with an internal locus of control tend to explain events based on their ability, skill, or effort; in other words, they take responsibility for what happens. Reflection Questions 1. What is your reaction to your results? 2. What do you believe are some of the benefits or consequences of having an external locus of control? 3. What do you believe are some of the benefits or consequences of having an internal locus of control? 4. What connection do you see between your self-regard and locus of control?