EXPLORING LOCUS OF CONTROL IN THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS

Purpose: The proposed study is concerned with the cognitive-based construct locus of control. It aims to determine whether citizens in the Republic of Cyprus tend to be more internal or external while also investigating potential differences across gender, age, race and ethnicity. A secondary objective is to determine if college students’ locus of control is related to their academic achievement. Although this particular study is cross-sectional in nature, this research is also part of a wider, longitudinal study that aims to determine if an individual’s locus of control significantly changes over time. Theoretical background and selected relevant literature : Locus of control refers to people’s beliefs about how much control they have over their lives (Lefcourt, 1966; Rotter, 1966). Individuals with a more internal locus of control, called internals, believe that they are in control of their lives. Externals, believe that they have less direct control of what happens to them, attributing their life experiences to external factors or luck that are beyond their control.