Locus of Control

 Locus of control has to do with the way people believe certain events have control of outcomes in their lives. An individual can either have an internal locus of control or an external locus of control. People who have an internal LoC tend to believe that they have control of what happens in their life. They believe that the effort and time that they put into something will produce a certain result. They tend to not believe in luck or happen chance. They believe in facts and their own effort. These individuals are usually more motivated to work harder to achieve their goals because they believe it is possible if they put forth the effort need. They also take responsibility for the events that happen in their life. 

Individuals who have an external locus of control believe that the events in their life that happen are the results of external factors. They believe that they have no control or cannot influence things that happen. They believe in luck, fate, and chance. These people have a more relaxed state of mind when thinking about things that happen their life and they don't tend to get anxious much. To me, they have more of a free spirit than individuals with an internal locus of control. Some may even say that they don't work hard for things. Wether a person has an internal or external locus of control can come from genetic factors or even the experiences a person faces at a young age. Parents can even have an influence on a child's locus of control. 

When I did the Rotter's Locus of Control Scale test, I found out that I had an internal locus of control. It made since to me because I have always thought that I was controlled the results that happened to me. I know that when I put a lot of time and effort into studying for a test, I have a better chance of doing it better than if I didn't study at all. I know that not studying for a test and hoping I will get lucky has always seemed odd to me. I believe that my parents had a little influence to my LoC. They always told me that if I worked hard for something, I would have a better chance of achieving it. I am grateful for that mindset because it has made me work hard to be where I am today and how I want to be as an OT. I believe that having an internal locus of control will help me I treat patients because I will want the best for the and will know how to motivate them and encourage them to have the same mindset. That they will get better if they work hard for it. I enjoyed learning about this topic and learning that I have an internal LoC.