Internal-external locus of control and performance on a vigilance task

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Human Performance

Background:

• Vigilance tasks reveal significant individual differences in performance.
• Locus of control, a measure of personal belief in internal versus external control of events, is a key individual difference factor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between locus of control and vigilance task performance.
• To test the hypothesis that internally controlled individuals are superior monitors compared to externally controlled individuals.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-four subjects completed Rotter's Internal-External (I-E) Locus of Control Scale.
• Participants performed a visual watch-keeping (vigilance) task for one hour.

Main Results:

• Subjects with an external locus of control made significantly more incorrect responses.
• Externally controlled subjects also missed significantly more signals during the vigilance task.
• The internal-external locus of control dimension effectively differentiated performance on the vigilance task.

Conclusions:

• Locus of control is a significant predictor of vigilance task performance.
• Internally controlled individuals demonstrate enhanced monitoring capabilities.
• Understanding locus of control can help explain variations in sustained attention and watch-keeping abilities.