The relationship between life events locus of control and psychological adjustment in adolescents

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between life events,locus of control and psychological adiustment in adolescents. It washypothesized that, when faced with negative life events in the pastyear, adolescents those who have an external locus of control willhave more problems in social relationships, emotional stability,conformity, adiustment to reality and leadership than those whohave internal locus of control. The participants of the study were191 high school students in Robert College. The measurementinstruments were the Junior High Life Experiences Survey, theInternal-External Control Scale and the Minnesota Counseling Inventory.Five multiple regression analyses were performed on the fiveMinnesota Counseling Inventory subscales. In the case of EmotionalStability and Adjustment to Reality, when faced with negative lifeevents, external students showed more problems than internal ones.in the case of Conformity, negative life events scores alone increasedthe conformity problems. In the case of Social Relationshipsand leadership, the positive life events score was found to bepredictive. Also the results showed that girls were more externallyoriented, less emotionally stable and less conforming. Some speculationswere discussed related to the findings and suggestions forfurther studies were given.