Relationships between locus of control and anxiety

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Locus of control (LOC) is a key personality construct.
• Anxiety is a prevalent psychological concern.
• Understanding the interplay between LOC and anxiety is crucial for mental health research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize findings on the relationship between locus of control and anxiety.
• To examine these relationships across different measures of anxiety: general trait, situation-specific trait, and state anxiety.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing research findings.
• Analysis of studies investigating locus of control and various anxiety measures.

Main Results:

• Consistent evidence supports a relationship between external locus of control and elevated general trait anxiety.
• External locus of control is associated with higher levels of test anxiety.
• The association between locus of control and state anxiety appears to be context-dependent.

Conclusions:

• Greater externality in locus of control is linked to increased general trait and test anxiety.
• The influence of locus of control on state anxiety is moderated by situational factors.
• Further research should consider situational context when examining locus of control and state anxiety.