The study with 20 emotionally disturbed and 20 nondisturbed subjects (ages 9-11) found that an external locus of control and poorer performance in decoding voice tone and facial expression were associated with emotional disturbance. Implications for teaching and remediation are discussed. (Author/DB)

Sixty-four female preservice teachers recorded their internal dialogues (private self-talks). Each type of self-talk was categorized according to E. Berne's transactional states (adult, parent, and child), J. B. Rotter's locus of control, and directional states (positive, negative, and neutral). Adult states, external loci, and negativism…

Conducted two studies to investigate marital satisfaction and egocentric bias in spouses' perceived contributions to activities in marriage. Results from 40 spouses indicated that spouses claimed to make greater contributions to negative relationships events than their partners attributed to them. Results from 50 spouses replicated findings.…

Examined career indecision by performing cluster analysis on data from 155 high school students on five variables: state anxiety, trait anxiety, locus of control, identity, and career indecision. Results support hypothesis that different forms of career indecision exist, and confirm earlier concepts about importance of anxiety in differentiating…

Examined verbal behavior of college students (N=46) which indicated the internal-external control construct must be more clearly studied before definitive correlates of locus of control orientation can be derived. Cautions internality should not be linked necessarily to strong inclinations toward the control of classroom situations. (Author/ABL)

Cognitive processes contributing to depression in adolescents were studied in 15 clinically depressed, 15 somewhat depressed, and 15 nondepressed mostly female adolescents ages 13 to 16 years. Lower self-esteem, greater pessimism, more polarized construing, increased isolation, and a more external locus of control characterized the clinically…

Obtained reports of coping and goals from 33 children being treated for leukemia. Coping strategies were classified as primary control coping (attempts to alter objective conditions), secondary control coping (attempts to adjust to objective conditions), or relinquished control (no attempt to cope). Secondary control coping was positively…

Reports results of a study of 187 nurses about stressful occupational episodes and the coping strategies and perceived controllability for each, controlling for negative affectivity. Effectiveness of coping was measured across three dimensions: perceived coping effectiveness, job affect, and psychological adjustment. Discusses implication of…

Assessed impact of relocation on health and well-being of 196 nursing home residents who relocated to new facility. Relocated residents participated in program to enhance sense of control and predictability over move. Analyses of medical records, nurses' ratings, and interviews strongly suggest that move had no negative effect on residents as…

Describes political and social action group of cognitively intact nursing home residents, organized in response to residents' desire to work on social issues and coordinated by recreational therapist who expected participation to maximize residents' autonomy and sense of control. Benefits mentioned by participants included opportunity to…

Examined relationship between self-esteem, perceived control, interpersonal conflict between spouses, global and intimacy life quality, and stress produced by infertility in 185 married infertile couples. Found that fertility problem stress had indirect negative effects on life quality via its mediating effects on self-esteem, internal control,…

Self-report, retrospective study of 115 adolescents compared self-esteem and locus of control of never hospitalized to that of adolescents hospitalized during adolescence, before adolescence, and during and before adolescence. Found no significant differences, although findings raised questions about long-term effects of early experiences,…

Reviews empirical studies of cognitive self-efficacy from childhood through old age, addressing issues of definition and measurement related to the self-efficacy construct. Integrates findings of research on self-efficacy and establishes generalizations regarding the relationship of self-efficacy to choice and goal-setting behaviors, a sense of…

Examined adaptation to chronic pain in 118 patients. Control appraisals, ignoring pain, using coping self-statements, and increasing activities were positively related to psychological functioning. Control appraisals, diverting attention, ignoring pain, and using coping self-statements were positively related to activity level for patients…

Focused on the dynamics of excuse giving and teachers' reactions to excuse-giving behavior by students experiencing academic difficulties. Analysis of teachers' reports indicated that students were most likely to attribute their academic difficulties to external, uncontrollable factors, whereas teachers tended to believe that the "real"…