311
Personal Control
§
External locus of control
refers to the perception
that chance or outside forces beyond our personal
control determine our fate.
Internal locus of control
refers to the perception
that we can control our own fate.
§
Social-cognitive psychologists emphasize our
sense of
personal control
– whether we control
the environment or the environment controls
us.
OBJECTIVE 46-8
| Discuss the effects of a perception of internal or external control, and describe the concept of learned helplessness.