Locus of Control
Locus of Control
Locus of control is about whether a person tends to feel that outcomes are mostly shaped by their own actions or by forces outside their control.
A stronger internal sense of control can support initiative, responsibility, and persistence.
A more external sense of control can make life feel more contingent on luck, systems, or other people’s choices.
This often shapes confidence, effort, learned helplessness, accountability, and how people explain success or failure.
Too much internal control can become self-blame. Too much external control can reduce agency even when action is still possible.
Rotter Internal-External Scale is the framework used to place this trait in a larger personality map.
A score here is best treated as a tendency, not a verdict. It helps describe patterns, not define a whole person.