The present study investigated the relationship between internality, externality, and children's concept of life. The subjects were 96 children, between 10 and 13 yr. of age, who answered an animism test and a locus of reinforcement control test. The data indicated that 49 internal-scoring children of both sexes had higher animate object scores and lower inanimate object scores than the 47 external-scoring children. This relationship suggested that the internal scorers may have a more accurate concept of life than the external scorers. The authors have proposed that internal and external children may employ different cognitive processes in acquiring the concept of life.
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