Importance of Recognizing Locus of Control

 

Locus of control refers to a person's perception of the events that happen in their life and directly influences the way in which they interact with the world. Like many other aspects of psychology, locus of control is gaged on a continuum.  So it is common to see traits of both external and internal locus of control within a person’s character depending on the topic. 

On one end of the continuum, people believe that they have complete control of their own life and that their actions and work efforts determine their success. They are very independent and tend to take ownership of their life situations and difficulties. This is known as internal locus of control. On the other end of the continuum , people believe that their accomplishments and failures are merely determined by outside influences. They do not take responsibility for their own situations and rather blame someone/something outside of themselves. This is known as external locus of control. 

As a future OT practitioner, it is important to understand the characteristics of both and to know the appropriate way to approach these individuals. It is important to note that the nature of medicine automatically provokes an external locus of control because something is wrong with the person and they are desperate for help. If you sense that the external locus of control is becoming extreme, it is best to address the client in a way that encourages more of an internal locus of control. This could include things such as educating the client on self care techniques and ways in which the client can take charge in improving his/her own health. Another way would be to minimize passive treatments as these types of treatment could support their faulty belief that you are solely responsible for their healing. For individuals who have an internal locus of control, you might be careful not to over step and allow the client to contribute to his/her care as much as possible. 

Overall, if an OT is aware of a person’s locus of control it can help them to approach each individual appropriately and efficiently. When you first recognize tendencies in an individual to be an extreme in either type, it is crucial to take note of this and use it to guide your future plan of care.