locus of control

A person's belief about the degree to which they control the outcomes in their life — internal locus (I control my fate) vs. external locus (fate, luck, or others control my outcomes).

• (compound term)

• internal locus of control
• external locus of control
• locus of control theory
• shift one's locus of control
• Rotter's locus of control

1. 1.Students with an internal locus of control study harder because they believe effort determines grades; those with an external locus may not, believing "the test was unfair" or "the teacher doesn't like me." (attribution of outcomes)
2. 2.After a traumatic experience like an abusive relationship, a person's locus of control often shifts external — they feel powerless — and therapy works partly by helping them rebuild internal agency. (clinical application)

• attribution style (how one explains causes of events)
• self-efficacy/ˌsɛlf ˈɛfɪkəsi/— belief in one's ability to achieve — related but narrower

"locus" from Latin (place, location) + "control" from French "contrôle" (verification) — where you place the source of control in your life