Locus of control, depression, and anxiety in young and old adults: a comparison study

Levenson's Internal, Powerful Others, and Chance scales were administered to 305 college undergraduates and 117 community-living elderly. On the basis of their highest standard score, sixty young and sixty elderly participants were then classified into High Internal, High Powerful Others, and High Chance categories. The young sample was administered the Zung Depression Scale and the debilitating anxiety scale of the Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test, while the elderly were given the Beck Depression Inventory, the Depression and Anxiety Scales of the Profile of Mood States, and rated on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Contrary to previous results, the elderly sample was more external (on the Chance dimension) than the young. As predicted, there was a significant relationship linking a pattern of high internality and low belief in powerful others with low depression in the elderly, but not in the young. Applicability of these findings to placement and intervention strategies is discussed.