This study investigated the role of possible mood connotations in the frequently found positive relationship between external locus of control and depression. A sample of 247 “normal” subjects completed a short Dutch Locus of Control scale, mood ratings of its items, and the Depression Symptom Inventory. Results indicate that the mood connotations did not affect the correlations between depression and both the internal and the external locus of control scales.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AbramowitzS. J. (1969) Locus of control and self-reported depression among college students. Psychological Reports, 25, 149–150.
2.
AbramsonL. Y.SeligmanM. E. P.TeasdaleJ. D. (1978) Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87, 49–74.
3.
AikenP. A.BaucomD. H. (1982) Locus of control and depression: That confounded relationship. Journal of Personality Assessment, 46(4), 391–395.
4.
AndriessenJ. H. T. H. (1972) Interne of externe beheersing. [Internal or external control.]Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Psychologie, 27, 173–189.
5.
BoumanT. K. (1986) The measurement of depression with questionnaires. Unpublished dissertation, Univer. of Groningen.
6.
EmmelkampP. M. G.Cohen-KettenisP. T. (1975) Relationship of locus of control to phobic anxiety and depression. Psychological Reports, 36, 390.
7.
HoffmannM.SchenkJ. (1985) Zur Logik der Operationalisierung des locus-of-control Konzeptes von Rotter: Ueberpruefung der Bipolaritaet von internal-external control. [The logic of operationalization of Rotter's concept locus of control: Test of the bipolarity of internal-external control.]Diagnostica, 31(2), 93–104.
8.
JohnsonJ. H.SarasonI. G. (1978) Life stress, depression and anxiety: Internal-external control as a moderator variable. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 22, 205–208.
9.
LamontJ. (1972a) Depression, locus of control and mood response set. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, 342–345.
10.
LamontJ. (1972b) Item mood-level as a determinant of I-E test response. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, 190.
11.
LeggetJ.ArcherR. P. (1979) Locus of control and depression among psychiatric inpatients. Psychological Reports, 45, 835–838.
12.
LevensonH. (1974) Activism and powerful others: Distinctions within the concept of internal-external control. Journal of Personal Assessment, 38, 377–383.
13.
RotterJ. B. (1966) Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 80, No. 1 (Whole No. 609).
14.
SandersG. (1977) Het gowone en het bijzondere van de homoseksuele leefsituatie. [The ordinary and particular aspects of the homosexual life situation.]Deventer: van Loghum Slaterus.
