... concept first introduced by Rotter(1966) refers to an individual's belief about what causes certain outcomes in life. It is generally thought of as existing on a continuum with internal at one end and external at the other. Those with an external locus of control feel that outside forces such as, luck or fate, exert considerable control over the outcomes in their lives (Brehm & Kassin 1999). Whereas individuals who have a strong belief that they can control their own destinies are likely to: (a) be more aware of environmental factors that may influence future behaviour, (b) take steps to improve environmental conditions, (c) place greater value on skill or achievement reinforcement, and (d) be resistive to conformity and other subtle attempts to influence their behaviour (McLaughlin, & Saccuzzo, 1997). A related cognitive account the learned helplessness was proposed by Martin Seligman (1975), which provided a model for explaining depression. It is ...

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