Locus of control — do you control your life, or does fate?

What is locus of control?

In 1966, the American psychologist Julian Rotter published one of the most influential concepts in the history of psychology: locus of control. It describes a person's belief about what determines the course of their life.

The scale is continuous, ranging from extreme internal control to extreme external control.

Internal locus of control

People with an internal locus of control believe that their own actions, decisions and effort shape what happens to them.

Typical beliefs:

• "My success depends on how hard I work"
• "If something didn't work out, I should check what I can do differently"
• "I can influence my health through my lifestyle"

Advantages: higher motivation, better stress management, higher academic and professional achievement, better control over your health

Drawbacks: a tendency to blame yourself too much, burnout when success doesn't come, difficulty accepting chance events

External locus of control

People with an external locus of control believe their life is shaped by fate, chance, other people or social systems.

Typical beliefs:

• "Success is a matter of being in the right place at the right time"
• "There's no point trying — everything depends on luck anyway"
• "Powerful and influential people decide what happens to me"

Advantages: easier acceptance of chance events, less self-blame in difficult situations

Drawbacks: lower motivation, a passive approach to life, a higher risk of learned helplessness and depression

What does research say?

Meta-analyses of hundreds of studies show that an internal locus of control correlates with:

• Higher income (on average 20–30% higher earnings)
• Better health (lower BMI, less smoking, better diabetes control)
• Higher psychological wellbeing
• Higher educational achievement
• Greater job satisfaction

Note: correlation does not mean causation. It is not clear whether an internal locus of control causes these outcomes or simply occurs alongside them.

Locus of control and social context

An important caveat: an external locus of control is not always "bad". For people facing real discrimination, poverty or systemic barriers, the belief that "effort always pays off" can be false and harmful.

Rotter himself emphasised that the optimum is a realistic locus of control — the belief that we can influence many areas of our life, while acknowledging that external factors exist.

Can locus of control change?

Yes. Psychological interventions, especially cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), effectively shift locus of control towards internal. Key techniques:

1. Attributing success — consciously credit your achievements to your own actions
2. Small goals — achievable goals build a sense of agency
3. Influence analysis — regularly ask yourself: "What in this situation depends on me?"
4. Therapy — especially when there are patterns of learned helplessness

Take the test

Our Locus of Control test (13 forced-choice questions, based on Rotter's I-E Scale) shows where you fall on the internal–external continuum, with a detailed interpretation.