Locus Of Control: The Key That Determines Your Success
What is locus of control? How do I know if I have an internal or external locus of control? Discover the meaning of the locus of control and what it determines according to psychology.
Have you ever felt that your successes are due to luck? He Control locus It is the belief system that an individual has regarding the causes of their experiences, that is, the factors to which a person attributes success or failure.
Therefore, having a locus of control and its meaning refers to the degree to which people feel that they have control over the events that influence their lives.
“A locus of control orientation is a belief about whether the results of our actions depend on what we do (internal control orientation) or on events outside our personal control (external control orientation).”
Philip Zimbardo, psychologist
He Control locus Therefore, it is the perception that makes us believe if we really have the ability to perform certain actions and obtain certain results due to our abilities or if it is due to other factors that are beyond our control.
Psychologist Julian Rotter, in 1954, suggested that our behaviors were controlled by rewards and punishments. In this way, the consequences of our actions help determine the beliefs we will have about the likely outcomes of future behaviors.
Our anticipation of outcomes can influence the way we behave and act in our lives. When a person faces a challenge in his life and has an internal locus of control, he usually thinks that he has control over what happens. On the other hand, when it places responsibility on external variables, it is established that he has a external locus of control
Have a internal or external locus of control It not only influences how people respond to the events that happen in our lives, but also the motivation we have to act in favor of our goals and purposes.
It is important to note that the Control locus It is not static. Furthermore, no one can have it completely internal or external. In many cases, people find themselves in balance between the internal and the external.
Internal locus of control
When a person tends to have an internal locus of control, they are usually characterized by the following.
Take responsibility for your actions: Knowing what to control is synonymous with being able to take charge of the actions and decisions we make. In this way, when someone has a Control locus internal takes control in your life.
Less concerned about the opinions of others: Those whose locus of control It is more internal, they tend to not care more about what others say. Something that gives them more freedom to decide and do what they want.
Security: By having more control over their responsibilities, people with a internal locus of control They tend to feel more confident in facing challenges.
Independence: They tend to have more capacity to be independent from others and be comfortable with themselves.
External locus of control
A person who has more tendency towards a external locus of control It usually has the following characteristics.
Putting the blame on others: People with this type of locus of control They often place responsibility for their actions on ‘external forces’.
Stress and despair: When problems arise, people with a external locus They usually end up looking desperate and stressed since they do not take control of the situation.
They don’t believe in changes: By having more tendency towards external locus People have the belief that they are not capable of reversing a situation with their own efforts.
Learned helplessness: The person has the belief that they will never be able to defend themselves from the negative situations they experience.
What role does your locus of control play in your life?
When a person has a internal locus of control usually experience a greater degree of happiness. Despite this, we must also remember that having an internal locus of control does not always equal something better and vice versa.
On some occasions, having a external locus of control It can be positive if the situation represents a threat to our self-esteem.
As we see, the locus of control It has a great impact on our lives, since it will determine the way we deal with stress and the level of motivation we will have in our daily lives.
How to have a more internal locus of control?
The beliefs associated with our locus of control can be changed. In fact, there are a series of actions that we can apply to ourselves to begin to cultivate a more internal locus of control.
Focus on what you can control: The first step to take the control of our actions is to identify what we can do to become the person we want or to achieve our goals. To do this, you can ask yourself the question ‘What do I want in my life?‘ as well as identify our mints. Next, make two separate lists. When you have them, see what you have control over and what you don’t. This way you will be able to know what you can focus on and work to achieve what you want.
Turn criticism into growth: If something has not happened the way you imagined, it is time to try to see the positive side. Maybe thanks to these steps you can improve and do something bigger in the future. Instead of focusing on what you have not achieved, try to improve those failures that you believe have not allowed you to achieve what you wanted.
Find support: Having a support system is vital to balance our Control locus This way, we will have more perspective on our actions and can be inspired when we are disappointed by our results. Also, if you think you need extra help, you can always count on a professional psychologist.
He Control locus It implies the responsibility of assuming our actions and decisions, whatever the results. Knowing what we can or cannot control is vital to achieving our goals and purposes.
