Relationship between Transgression and Locus of Control in Military Dependent Children

Abstract

It was hypothesized that externally controlled children (as defined operationally by scores on the Bialer-Cromwell Children's Locus of Control Scale) would exhibit a higher frequency of transgression than internally controlled children. Ss were a random selection of 60 fourth and fifth grade boys and 60 first and second grade boys randomly assigned to one of three groups: (a) punishment at initiation, (b) punishment at completion, (c) control. As the child reached for the attractive member of a pair of toys, he was verbally admonished (punishment). Having been conditioned with punishment for nine trials, the child was left alone on Trial 10, to determine if he would transgress (move the preferred toy). The hypothesis was not confirmed. Children who transgressed were significantly higher in internality than those who did not. Analysis of variance showed no statistically significant differences. Data was examined in terms of the military situation, individual differences, and item analysis of the locus of control scale.

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