Addiction Professionals as Social Justice Advocates

LOCUS OF CONTROL SELF-ASSESSMENT

The 10 questions in this exercise help you to identify whether you have more of an internal or external locus of control.

QUESTIONS

Which better describes the rationale behind your decision to return to school?

External Locus: "Everything came together for me. I saw the program I wanted; my family, friends, and colleagues were behind my choice; and the faculty and staff seemed supportive and willing to reach out and help me. It felt like the right place and the right time."

Internal Locus: "I wanted to take my destiny into my own hands, and through hard work and determination, change the course of my life for the better. I believe that if I set a goal for myself, I can accomplish it."

You discover that your degree program requires you to take a class in a subject you have never been very good at or found interesting. In fact, the last time you were in school, you had a lot of trouble with this subject and resolved never to study it again. What do you do?

Internal Locus: Go ahead and schedule the course. You are not the same person now that you were the last time you were in school, so maybe it will go better this time around. Just in case, though, you make sure to schedule it along with a class that you find interesting and fun, in order to give yourself a "mental break."

External Locus: Approach your Academic Advisor to see if there is a way to waive this requirement for you or substitute it for something else. You already know that trying to force your mind to work with this subject is not a good use of your time and energy.

There is a particular course that you need to take for the upcoming quarter. How will you make sure that you register for it right away when it becomes available?

External Locus: The university generally sends out reminders by email, phone, and postal mail about important upcoming events such as registration, financial aid and payment deadlines, software changes, et cetera. You will keep an eye out for the registration reminders so you do not forget, then go online and register.

Internal Locus: Use your organizational system, such as a calendar, pocket day planner, PDA, or even a bright sticky note on a bulletin board to remind yourself, then go online and register when the time comes.

Early on in one of your courses, you have a misunderstanding with your instructor. Based on this, you feel that things have started off on a bad note and you are concerned about your ability to work with this instructor. What do you do?

External Locus: Try to transfer out of the course, if possible. If not, resign yourself to the fact that your personalities are incompatible, and prepare for a lower grade by investigating university policies around biased grading.

Internal Locus: Focus on learning the material covered in the course, communicate with your instructor as professionally and as infrequently as possible, and hope for the best.

You are midway through a course when a family member becomes seriously ill. This person will need a lot of care over the next few weeks. What do you do?

Internal Locus: Request temporary leniency on deadlines from your instructor while you try to line up some extra help with caring for your family member. You set a goal for yourself to complete this course, and you strive to attain your goals if at all possible.

External Locus: Drop your course to focus on your family member's needs. Your family member is more important than your course, and you believe that things happen for a reason.

You are partway through a course and fairly busy at work when you notice that you are not feeling very well. What do you do?

Internal Locus: Work ahead in your class and then take a day or two off work so you can rest, which can help cut down on the time that you are sick. Using up your sick time is not ideal, but better safe than sorry.

External Locus: Keep going as normal — if you are getting sick, there is not much to be done about it. Hopefully you will get lucky and it will just be a minor bug.

You have a big project in a course, and the due date is coming up. However, the week the project is due, your boss unexpectedly assigns you a task that requires a lot of overtime work. You had really counted on being able to make a final big push on the course project that week, and if you cannot do so as planned, you probably will not be able to turn the project in on time. What do you do?

Internal Locus: Explain to your boss why this particular week is very difficult for you, and present some alternative ideas (working on your project at work during your breaks, sharing the overtime duties with another colleague, et cetera) for your boss to consider. Also, let your instructor know of your conflict just to cover your bases.

External Locus: Work overtime as your boss has requested (just because you are in school does not mean you are exempt from the rules), and do your best to finish the project during your few off hours. If you end up being late with the project, you will explain to your professor what happened and hope for the best.

You put a lot of time and effort into a project, but when you get your grade, you score much lower than you had anticipated. What do you think?

External Locus: "Maybe I am not cut out for this."

Internal Locus: "Maybe I did not work hard enough."

You have been working very hard in a difficult course for a quarter, and when you finally get your grade, you learn that you received an A. A friend congratulates you on your accomplishment. What is your response?

Internal Locus: "Thank you! I really studied hard!"

External Locus: "Thank you! I guess it was not so tough after all!"

Near the end of your degree program, you decide it is time to get a job that more accurately reflects your new skills and training. What steps do you take?

External Locus: Finish up your courses and mention to your friends, family, and acquaintances that you are in the market for a new job. Hopefully, you will be in the right place at the right time when opportunity strikes.

Internal Locus: Brush up your resume and start researching openings in your area. This will help ensure that you sound knowledgeable about the field when you start networking.

FEEDBACK

If seven or more of your choices were Internal locus:

Your test results indicate that your locus of control tends toward the internal. This means that you tend to believe that you personally influence and are responsible for most of what happens in your life. You are inclined to take proactive steps to improve your academic performance, professional standing, personal relationships, and physical health.

This perspective is positively correlated with success in online learning environments. Online learning is self-directed by nature, so your habit of assuming personal ownership of your scheduling, tasks, and responsibilities will help ensure that you stay on-task even though you are not surrounded by an in-person learning community.

The primary challenge associated with this perspective is a tendency to worry about and blame yourself for events and situations that you cannot control. This can elevate your stress level and cause problems with your physical and mental wellness. Strive for a balanced perspective in matters that are out of your hands. Activities such as yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation can help reduce your stress level while still allowing you to maintain the positive aspects of your highly responsible outlook.

If seven or more of your choices were External locus:

Your test results indicate that your locus of control tends toward the external. This means that you tend to believe that the events in your life are primarily influenced by outside forces (fate, a higher power, authority figures, societal norms and laws, luck and chance, et cetera). You are inclined to take a reactive approach to school, work, family and social relationships, and your health, rather than being proactive to try to ensure a certain outcome or result.

This perspective often allows for a relatively low degree of stress. Unlike many people, you are not particularly upset by rules and conventions; instead, you see their value in bringing order to society. You probably also cope well with major traumas and challenges, because you believe that things will turn out how they are meant to in the end. Faith, either in a higher power or in a natural order, is a large part of your life and may lend you comfort in times of difficulty.

Success in an online learning environment is correlated with a more internal locus of control, so this perspective may present something of a challenge for you as an online learner. Online learning is a self-directed environment that requires personal accountability and proactive planning. You may have a habit of not only attributing your struggles to others, but your accomplishments as well. Whether you do well or poorly in your academic endeavors, you may be inclined to attribute the results to your instructor, your familiarity with the subject matter, or just plain luck. As an online learner, your challenge will be to become more empowered not only to accept responsibility for setbacks, but to celebrate your accomplishments as the result of your own hard work.

If your choices were equally divided between Internal locus and External locus:

Your test results indicate that your locus of control is balanced between external and internal. This means that you tend to believe that you have a certain degree of influence over what happens in your life, but you also recognize that some aspects of your life are beyond your control. You are diligent about taking responsibility for your own decisions and actions, but you are good at recognizing and accepting what is in the hands of others.

Because of your balanced outlook, your stress level probably remains manageable. Major events and crises worry you, but on a day-to-day basis, you are skilled in recognizing what you can control and taking appropriate steps to manage those situations. Faith, either in a higher power or in a natural order, may be an important part of your life.

Success in an online learning environment is correlated with a slightly more internal locus of control. In order to be successful as an online learner, you may need to strive for a somewhat higher degree of self-direction than you typically display in your day-to-day life. Be sure to solicit the support of family and friends in order to help you maintain the balanced perspective that you typically enjoy.

CREDITS

Subject Matter Expert:

Crystal Neal

Interactive Design:

Kerry Hanson

Instructional Designer:

Connie Lepro

Project Manager:

Sue Cracraft