Question

PSY: Are you more of an internal or external locus of control type of person? What are the advantages and disadvantages to each type? How could you use this information to improve your stress management.

Answer 1

• The extent to which people believe they have power over events in their lives. A person with an internal locus of control believes that he or she can influence events and their outcomes, while someone with an external locus of control blames outside forces for everything.
• People who base their success on their own work and believe they control their life have an internal locus of control. In contrast, people who attribute their success or failure to outside influences have an external locus of control.
  
• I am more internal locus since I feel you are responsible for every action you take,either your hardwork pays off or it doesnt. I like to do things myself and also learn new things,I try to to put in as much effort as I can,irrespective of success and failure.Atleast,you cannot blame the on anyone else for your failures.I truly believe we are the masters of our own fate.
• Advantages Of An Internal Locus Of Control:-
• More likely to actively try to improve your situation
• More likely to observe factors you can use to create positive outcomes in the future
• Less likely to feel like a victim of circumstance
• Disadvantages Of An Internal Locus Of Control:-
• Sometimes events are random and out of your control
• More likely to come across as arrogant to others
• Likely to be unstable or neurotic if the internal locus doesn’t realistically reflect your competence.
• Advanatges of External locus of control:-
• An individual with an External Locus of Control is often seen as humble and agreeable. She may often share praise with those around her who really did very little to help out with a given project. This type of individual, while taking little credit for successes or failures, can be laid-back and enjoy a happy, relaxed life.
• Disadvantages of External locus of control:-
• Those with an External Locus of Control are many times described as whiny and tend to excuse bad behaviour by pointing to outside influences. A person who is late to a meeting, for example, may blame the weather, traffic, road-construction, or any number of external factors. Individuals with an External Locus of Control also exhibit lower levels of self-motivation and are not as likely to achieve the same levels of success as those with an Internal Locus of Control.
• But,to manage one's stress developing an internal locus of control is much more effective than external locus of control.When you realize that you always have choice to change your situation (even if this change isn't your first choice, or is merely a change in how you look at things), it can be liberating and empowering.
  
• When you feel trapped, make a list of all possible courses of action. Just brainstorm and write things down without evaluating them first, so you become more able to tap your creativity.It can remind you of what you can control, even when there are many things that are set.
• When you have a list, evaluate each one and decide on the best course of action for you, and keep the others in the back of your mind as alternative options. You may end up with the same answer you had before the brainstorming session, but this exercise can open your eyes to the amount of choices you have in a given situation. Seeing new possibilities will become more of a habit.