Explain what is meant by locus of control (4 marks)

Locus of control refers to the extent someone believes they have personal control over events in their lives, such as personal successes and failures. Locus of control is typically measured along a bi-polar scale with internal locus of control at one end and external locus of control at the other; with individuals falling somewhere along the spectrum. Individuals who have an external locus of control tend to have beliefs that their behavior and events in their lives are largely determined by external forces like fate or luck. Whereas, those closer to the internal control end of the scale tend to believe they have a considerable amount of control over their behavior and therefore are more likely to take responsibility for their actions and things that happen to them.