What is it?

Locus of control refers to your perceived source of control within your own life. It is a concept developed by Julian Rotter. Rotter devised a locus of control scale to measure the extent people feel their lives are within their control. The scale is measured along a line from high external to high internal. High external refers to those people who see their life as being in the hands of other people and as such can do little to control things. High internal people in contrast see themselves as being in control of their lives.

Generally, people will be located somewhere between these extremes – it is not a case of being either external or internal. Also, people may vary from situation to situation in terms of their belief that control is external or internal. It is important to note that it is about people’s beliefs and perceptions, rather than what is really happening.

How is it relevant?

People with an internal locus of control take responsibility for their actions and regard themselves as being in control of their life and destiny. As such, they are able to make their own decisions, rather than letting others do it for them.

External people give control to others and regard their successes and failures as being due to external sources. The lives they lead are not in their control. Instead they see it as being down to luck, fate, or other people’s behaviours.

The concept locus of control is important as it gives an insight into your ability to make decisions.  Do you trust yourself to make a decision or do you allow others to do it for you? It also enables you to reflect on your achievements. Were you just lucky that time, or was it down to hard work?

Having an internal locus of control can be very empowering. You are not just waiting for life to happen to you. You go out and do it. It can impact on your relationships, work life, lifestyle choices, where you live and so on. It is not only about the big decisions but the small, everyday decisions. Taking control and therefore responsibility of your life can increase self-worth and happiness.

Where your locus lies

The words you use in daily life can indicate where your locus lies. A person who assumes an external locus of control may use words such as can’t, must, have to, ought and should. These are all words that indicate a person is not in control and their control instead has been given to another. In contrast a person with an internal locus of control would tend to use terms such as want to, choose to and love to. They would own what they say also – using ‘I’ rather than ‘you’ or ‘we’.

Having noted the importance of an internal locus of control, it must be acknowledged that there are things in life that we do not have control of. For example, being born, death, sexuality, embodiment and choice (even not choosing is a choice). It is important to be able to accept these givens. You still have control over how you choose to respond to them. You could, for example, deny that you are going to die - refusing to accept you are getting older, ever searching for anti-ageing products. Or, you could enjoy getting older, embracing each stage of your life.

However, sometimes people believe there are things that they cannot control, when actually they can. For example, ‘I can’t leave my job’ may be a fiercely held belief by some. The point is, that person actually can leave their job, they have simply chosen not to, due to the particular circumstances they are in. Therefore, it is important to think very carefully about what you think you can and cannot control. Furthermore, even the things you really cannot control, you can control how you think about them.

Supporting the locus of control concept

Strickland (1979) found those people with an internal locus of control tended to be healthier physically. This was because they took control and carried out behaviours that kept them healthy.

Shipley (1981) found people with an internal locus of control were more likely to be successful in giving up smoking.

Balch and Ross (1975) found obese people with an internal locus of control were more successful at losing weight. Those with an external locus of control were not good at pursuing a healthy lifestyle as they did not believe their own actions would affect their health later on.

Using the concept in your life

The following tips are suggested to help promote control in your own life. Since you can have a huge impact on controlling your own happiness, I have also included ideas you can use to help promote happiness.

• Stop putting your life on hold in case you win the lottery, or get lucky in some way. You do not have direct control over the numbers. Instead focus on the things you can control that will increase happiness. By the way, money does not buy happiness. Research has shown that so long as you have enough to get by, there is no association between greater income and greater happiness.

• Set yourself realistic personal goals that are achievable on a weekly or daily basis. These can soon add up to great achievements. Such goals can be relevant to your work, relationships, hobbies, and new activities that you want to try. For example, learning to paint. You can easily be put off by demanding that you are an expert on day one. This is not realistic and may prevent you going further with your objective. However, by breaking down your goal into small, achievable chunks, you will see your progress sooner. This will enhance control and a feeling of mastery.

• Have yourself a regular flow experience. This refers to those moments when you are completely and totally absorbed in an activity. Such experiences you control and contribute greatly to happiness.

• Engage in regular exercise.  Exercise benefits you  physically and mentally and you will see a difference if you make it part of  your life.

• Get enough sleep to keep you alert and in control.

• Reflect on the role you take in your relationships with others. Do not assume you are the victim and have no control in your interactions. Also, take the time to be there for others. Giving is a great way to promote happiness.

• Do volunteer work.

• Have a good attitude in your life. You choose how you think about your life. Be grateful for the past, relish the present, and be excited about the future.

• Reflect on the things you may have presumed you have no control over. Think carefully about whether this is accurate. True, certain past events may have happened to you, but you do have control over what you choose to do with them now.

• Challenge your thinking and consider the words you use. Avoid the use of ‘can’t’, ‘always’ and ‘never’. Use terms such as ‘can’, ‘choose to’, ‘want to’.

• Use ‘I’ instead of ‘you’ or ‘we’ in your language. It is very empowering.

          For example:Replace ‘We should do better next time’ with ‘I should do  better next time’.
                             Replace ‘You start to wonder why you’re doing it’ with ‘I  start to wonder why I’m doing it’.

• Speak to a counsellor if you are struggling to find control in your life and are feeling overwhelmed.