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Beyond locus of control: Attribution of responsibility for positive and negative outcomes
Author(s) -
Brewin Chris R.,
Shapiro David A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1984.tb02788.x
Subject(s) - attribution , locus of control , psychology , social psychology , scale (ratio) , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , quantum mechanics , physics
Many locus of control measures fail to distinguish attributions for positive and negative outcomes even though these appear to be separate dimensions. Scales measuring the attribution of responsibility for positive and for negative outcomes are reported, together with data on their reliability and validity. Rotter's I‐E scale was found to correlate with responsibility for positive but not for negative outcomes. Responsibility for positive outcomes, together with the Rotter scale, predicted examination performance, while responsibility for negative outcomes correlated with self‐esteem and revealed consistent sex differences. The implications for locus of control research are discussed.