Investigating the relationship between profile factors and locus of control of selected college students in Camarines Norte, Philippines

Abstract

Numerous studies have revealed that locus of control is among the significant factors that contributed to the mental health challenges faced by individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the theory on locus of control, it is the degree to which a person feels he has control over events of his life, which can be internal or external. Filipinos have been known to adhere to a fatalistic attitude, which can be construed as a form of external locus of control. This study sought to discover the proportion of those who possess internal or external locus of control and the profile factors that could influence this. 226 college students from various public and private colleges in Camarines Norte, Philippines volunteered to take part in this study. The Locus of Control instrument based on Rotter was used to assess the locus of control of the respondents. When grouped according to sex, parental status and romantic status, majority of the respondents possess internal locus of control. However, percentage-wise, there are more males who have internal locus of control than females, there are more respondents without romantic involvement who possess internal locus of control than those with romantic involvement and those with only one surviving parent possess the most internal locus of control followed by those with parents who are living together and lastly by those whose parents are separated. Overall, 137 respondents or 60.62% possess internal locus of control and 89 or 39.38% have external locus of control. Chi square computations between locus of control and sex, parental status and romantic status yielded no significant relationships between these variables.

The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control on the Effect of the University Environment and Program on Entrepreneurial Intention and Attitudes

“…While some studies suggest a mediating role of LOC on university support and entrepreneurial intentions, such as Islam's ( 2019) study, which demonstrated that LOC partially mediated the relationship between university support and entrepreneurial inclinations, it can be argued that LOC might have a moderating role on the variables (university environment and entrepreneurial intentions). Studies (Albert & Dahling, 2016;Fabella & Aler, 2023;Wright & DuCette, 1976) support the idea that locus of control can predict achievement in educational contexts. Their initial analysis indicated that internality was positively associated with achievement in open environments but not in traditional ones.…”

“…Rotter (1966) introduced the concept of locus of control (LOC), describing it as a person's belief in their ability to influence specific events through their personal traits, distinguishing between internal and external types of LOC. This notion of control is crucial as the degree to which individuals perceive themselves to be in control can significantly impact their attitudes and resilience when faced with challenging situations (Fabella & Aler, 2023). Interestingly, individuals who view themselves as being in a position of control are more inclined to engage in entrepreneurial activities (Rotter, 1966).…”