Personality Development: Locus Control Presentation

Introduction

Grumpy, Happy, Dopey… the seven dwarfs, familiar to most from childhood, are distinct representations of different personality traits.

“Personality,” from the Latin word “persona,” refers to the traits and patterns that lie behind an individual’s consistent behavior, thinking, and feeling.

Historical Perspectives

Choleric

Hippocrates: yellow bile from the liver. Galen: passionate, ambitious, bold.

Melancholic

Hippocrates: black bile from the kidneys. Galen: reservd, anxious, unhappy.

Sanguine

Hippocrates: red blood from the heart. Galen: joyful, eager, optimistic.

Phlegmatic

Hippocrates: white phlegm from the lungs. Galen: calm, reliable, thoughtful.

Locus of Control

• Internal: the belief that effors and decisions determine the outcomes.
• External: beliefs about the power we have over our lives.

Internal Locus of Control

• Believing that work will pay off.
• Taking responsibility for positive and negative outcomes.
• Blaming oneself for failing.

External Locus of Control

• External factors are more important than individual’s actions.
• Not taking responsibility for failure or success.
• Hoping things will just work themselves out.
• Feeling helpless in situations.

Five Factor Model