Have you ever taken the Locus of Control test? Do you know what Locus of Control is? The short version has only 13 questions and can be accessed with the URL for Rotter. The URL for SimplierMinds has a longer version with 30 questions in the test. Both tests are scored right away, and there weren’t really any tricky questions. Relax! And just don’t read too much into it.
Locus of Control of Reinforcement, the official and longer title, is actually a theory developed in 1954, by psychologist Julian Rotter and is used to gauge to what extent a person might believe their life is controlled by external factors such as fate, chance, and luck or internal factors like effort, determination, and knowledge.
Rotter’s theory states that those who believe external forces, like fate, luck, or God, are less in control of their life and have an external locus of control. People like this usually believe they have few or no options as to what happens to them in their job, relationships, and even their health. The opposite of external locus of control would be internal locus of control; people who believe they do have a hand in what happens to them; their own actions and decisions are what determines the life they make for themselves.
For example, if I took the Locus of Control test (I took both the short version and the longer version) and my scores indicated that I have an internal locus of control (they did). I would be most likely to believe that my blood pressure is lower because I have made better choices about my diet and have been exercising to get my blood pressure back into the range I want. As an “internal” I believe that by making good choices, and becoming more knowledge about my health issues I will make better lifestyle choices. And I am putting myself in charge of my health and the decisions I make toward becoming healthier.
Unlike someone with an external locus of control who might believe that there isn’t anything they can do to improve their health because no matter what they try, it just doesn’t work. Maybe they think the health gods have it in for them, or there’s no point in trying to make wiser food choices because their cholesterol will always be sky high, regardless. Their family members had high cholesterol so they feel destined to share the same health issues.
Another example at how my internal locus of control is at work for me: I used to get stressed out about all kinds of little things. I kept hoping that one day the stress would go away, when in reality, people cannot avoid stress, they can learn better coping techniques and prepare for a hectic day, for example, but as an “internal” I don’t believe it my dumb luck that my job is super stressful and I might as well get used to it, because nothing will make it better.
By meditating, journaling, and exercising, I am doing a much better job of handling stress than I ever have. I learned how to quickly decide if something is really worth worrying about, or if I should just let it go and focus on more important matters. Meditation helps me find my “center” and helps to calm me down. I take my blood pressure every night and it’s nearly always in the good range. Last night it was 123/81. I never had good blood pressure readings until I realized that I have to take an active part in my health. My father had high blood pressure and eventually had to get a pacemaker/defibrillator. It would have been very easy for me to just say, “Well, high blood pressure and heart problems run in my family, so I’ll get the medicine and eventually a pacemaker when the time comes.” That’s kind of like laying down in the road hoping the oncoming cars see you and can avoid hitting you.
Taking the view that I am responsible for what happens to me, and that I have the ability to determine the outcome of whatever I need to do, put me in the driver’s seat for my health. I am now very pro-active when I see my doctor. I ask questions and try to get 360 degree information: are there alternatives? What can I do to lessen the symptoms or inflammation? How will I know if there has been an improvement? Is there something else I can do other than take a pill for the rest of my life? I want to know what I can do, not what those pills should be able to do for me.
After accompanying someone in my family to the doctor’s office recently, I know there’s someone in my life that has an external locus of control. Nearly every health issue he has he chalks up to genetics. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight, allergies, asthma, and even depression. While some of these health issues do have a genetic component, it doesn’t mean a person should resign themselves to constantly having bad health and that daily medications and frequent doctor’s visits are the best they can do to try to improve their health. But that’s what having an external locus of control does. It makes you feel like no matter what you try, nothing will make any of these better. It’s fate that made him have all these problems, not his choice of food or even the portion sizes, not the lack of exercise, not the infrequent attempts in better stress management skills.
I am currently recuperating from a left knee replacement and I realize that the only way I will successfully recuperate is to do my physical therapy every day, and to follow the surgeon’s directions on how to take care of myself. If I do what the surgeon tells me to do, I will continue to heal at the current quick rate that I am. I’m ahead of schedule with reestablishing my original range of motion and walking without a cane, crutches, or a walker. If I had an external locus of control, my recovery would be long and the new artificial knee most likely would not heal very well than if I neglected the physical therapy and decided to rely on pain pills and a passive motion machine to move my legs for me.
It may be a while before I’m able to go running again, but when I do, it’ll be because I decided the hard work and following doctors’ orders were important, and that blaming my mom’s bad knees weren’t the answer. Fate, the gods, and luck may have a place in life somewhere, but I don’t believe it’s a contributing part in my continuing to get better. I think I’ll continue with my internal locus of control.