Locus of control and perceived adjustment to life events

Investigated the relationship between locus of control orientation and perceived adjustment to critical life events. The Locus of Control scale and a modification of the Life Events scale were group administered to undergraduate students. No significant difference was found between internal and external scorers in the number of life events experienced during the 2-year assessment period. As predicted, external scorers reported a significantly more difficult adjustment to life events than internal scorers. The results suggest that it may be important for educators and mental health professionals to promote an internal locus of control orientation as a preventive and remedial approach to adjustment problems.