Locus of control

Locus of control refers to one’s ability to control things in and out of their lives. It is a feeling of control over something that influ…

Locus of control

Introduction

Paper details

The causal dimension of locus is referring to the idea of locus of control, which in turn has to do with the extent to which people think they have control over events in their life. There are two main groups: Those with internal locus of control and those with external. 

This week, explain the challenges associated with educating a client on beginning an exercise program. Differentiate between challenges if they hold an external locus of control versus an internal locus of control.

Locus of control

Discussion

Locus of control refers to one’s ability to control things in and out of their lives. It is a feeling of control over something that influences life’s orientation. To put this into perspective, when undergoing a turbulent time in life, an individual may feel overwhelmed or in a position to counter them.

Karaman & Watson (2017) noted that the ability or perception to control what happens in life indicates that one has an internal locus of control. In contrast, the external locus of control arises when one lacks control of happenings and instead blames external factors. Therefore, control of multiple variables in life depends on one’s motivation to change what happens.

When educating a client on beginning an exercise program, various challenges arise. First, the client has to make a personal decision of taking exercise programs and allow external factors to control the processes involved in exercising. A major challenge the client experiences is based on the uncertainty of whether final results will reflect on exercises.

Often, people are reluctant to take exercise programs because they dread the outcomes will not be contingent on their input (“Are You in Control of Your Destiny, or Are You at the Mercy of Chance?”, 2021). Persuading a client can be a complex process, although events outside personal control can help shape perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours. In this case, if the client cannot control external influences and that taking exercise programs is compulsory, then external control orientation takes centre stage.

However, internal and external locus of control present varying outcomes and exhibit different characteristics. For example, if clients hold an external locus of control, they often believe they can change their situations through individual efforts and often experience hopelessness during challenging conditions. In contrast, clients with an internal locus of control hold a strong sense of self-efficacy to take responsibility for their actions and perform generally better.

References

Are You in Control of Your Destiny, or Are You at the Mercy of Chance? (2021). Retrieved 20 May 2021, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-locus-of-control-2795434

Karaman, M., & Watson, J. (2017). Examining associations among achievement motivation, locus of control, academic stress, and life satisfaction: A comparison of U.S. and international undergraduate students. Personality and Individual Differences, 111, 106-110. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.02.006