Rosina C. Lao

Levenson's IPC (Internal-External Control) Scale A Comparison of Chinese and American Students

To examine further the cross-cultural feasibility of the internal-external control of reinforcement construct, one part of the study was conducted in Taiwan, using 517 Chinese college students, and the other part consisted of 423 American college students. Levensons IPC Scale and an information questionnaire were used to compare the two groups. After translating the materials into Chinese for the Chinese subjects, comparisons of the locus of control concept between the two cultures and between sexes were made. In general, similar patterns between males and females on the IPC were found for both American and Chinese students, and I, P, and C were also found to correlate with a similar number of confidence and expectancy variables for the two cultures. These results, taken together and compared with data from previous studies, suggest that the locus of control variable may be tapping some basic psychological dimension common to both cultures.

Locus of Control and Chinese College Students

The cross-cultural feasibility of the internality-externality (I-E) construct was examined by studying 517 male and female Chinese college students in Taiwan. Levensons IPC (Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance) Scales were used to correlate various factors concerning the background, performance, and expectancy areas. Results indicated that: (1) compared to females, Chinese males felt they had more control over their lives on the general internality factor; (2) the relationships among the various components of the l-E presented the same pattern for the Chinese as they did for Americans; and (3) I-E was found to relate to many other important variables for the Chinese. These findings were similar to previous findings in the United States and some other countries, indicating that l-E seems to be a potentially meaningful variable across cultures, while some cultural specific characteristics were also unveiled. Future research should be directed at testing I-E in still other cultures and looking further into the dynamics, the uses, and limitations of the l-E construct for the Chinese.

Is Internal-External Control an Age-Related Variable?

Following the suggestion proposed by Duke, Shaheen, and Nowicki, this study was designed to test the basic hypothesis that the meaning of internal-external control (I-E) may differ with age. Such variables as age, educational level, socioeconomic status, self-confidence, etc., which have consistently been found to relate to I-E for children through college age Ss, were examined to see if these bear a relationship to I-E for a group of parents (95 fathers and 107 mothers) of college students (father mean age 48, mother mean age 46). Results indicated that with the exception of father education, there was no significant relationship between I-E and all other variables. Thus, these findings support the notion that I-E is an age-related variable, that generalizations from previous studies to older people should be re-evaluated, and that future research should study the meaning and dynamics of I-E for older people.

The Developmental Trend of The Locus of Control

Rotter’s (1954) concept of locus of control has proven to be an important variable in understanding a variety of behaviors. Evidence gathered to date shaas that the behavioral correlates of one’s locus of controls range fron academic aehievement , social influence, to such variables as ego strenght and pathology (Joe. 1971; Lefoourt, 1966; Rotter, 1966). Several studies (Milgram, 1971; Penk, 1969) investigated the relationship between developmental age and locus of control and found that the individual’s sense of control increases with his increasing mastery and competence as he matures in age. However, these studies

Effect of Monetary Reward on Subsequent Motivation

Summary Most past research suggests that monetary rewards usually lead to a decrease in intrinsic motivation for a task. Many studies which found this, however, had major methodological problems; e.g., the initial “intrinsically interesting task” might not have been very interesting, the assessment of the dependent variable might have been too restricted. This study tried to remedy some of these. Thirty female undergraduates from a university on the east coast of North Carolina served as Ss. The task involved a biofeedback experiment in which each could learn about the electrical activity of her own brain. All Ss were true volunteers; they were randomly assigned to receive

Complexity of Effects of Personal Space

5,

The Effect of Sequence and Size of Reward on Expectancy

2, or no money. At the conclusion of the experiment they were asked to volunteer for another session with no opportunity of receiving any monetary reward. Results supported the hypothesis that if a task is truly intrinsically motivating then extrinsic rewards have little effect on subsequent motivation.

Differentiation within Internally Oriented Students in their Causal Attribution

Results from two studies failed to replicate the finding that attitude change is a direct function of distance and provided further evidence that personal space is a complex and multidimensional variable. The exact effect of personal space seems dependent upon its interactions with other factors.

Reactions of Students in Taiwan to Severance of U.S. Relations

Summary Most social change theories are based upon the general assumption that increased dissatisfaction will result in certain actions by the dissatisfied. For example, both Davies’ Revolution Theory and Gurrs Relative Deprivation Theory include the development of an awareness of an improved situation as a required condition. However, neither theory discusses how this type of expectancy is formed. The objective of the present study was to identify those variables which influence the formation of this expectancy. Sixty students enrolled at a technical institute in eastern North Carolina served as Ss. The size and sequence of previous rewards were the two independent variables, and future expectancy of reward was the dependent variable. Results indicated that both main effects were significant as was the interaction between size and sequence of reward.

The Effects of Locus of Control on Coalition Formation Among College Females

Summary An attempt was made to extend the locus of control theory by looking for differentiation in causal attribution within Ss who were equally internal and to demonstrate that personality-situation interaction was an important factor in determining causal attributions. Ss were male students from a predominantly white university in eastern North Carolina. Three groups of similarly internal Ss were formed: I+ Ss (N = 23) felt more internal for success than for failure; I− Ss (N = 20) felt more internal for failure than for success; and I= Ss (N = 26) felt equally internal for success and failure. Following an anagram task, Ss were given predetermined success or failure feedback and were asked to indicate the importance of each of four causal factors: Ability, Effort, Difficulty, and Luck. Results showed that situation was an important factor for the I+ and I= groups but not for the I− group, and there was a significant multivariate personality-situation interaction effect.