Terry L. Conway

Association between Levenson's Dimensions of Locus of Control and Measures of Coping and Defense Mechanisms

Theoretically, locus of control may be related to coping and defense style. Because little is known about specific relationships, scores on Levensons Chance, Powerful Others, and Internal control scales were correlated with 20 coping and defense measures for a sample of 2648 Marine Corps recruits. The findings suggested that the relationship of locus of control with coping and defense could be described in terms of two integrated personality styles. The external style combines external control orientations with low coping skills and externalizing defenses, e.g., displacement. The internal style combines internal control with minimizing, reversing defenses, and more extensive coping. These styles received some support from prior research and may help explain the association between better over-all adjustment and internality. These tentative style formulations can provide a basis for more detailed investigations of control and coping and defense.

Behavioral, Psychological, and Demographic Predictors of Physical Fitness.

Achieving higher levels of physical fitness has become a goal of many Americans both for personal reasons (e.g., improved health and well-being) and for organizational reasons (e.g., corporate cost-savings; operational effectiveness). Understanding the factors which relate to physical fitness could help people improve their fitness. This study examined 1,357 Navy men to estimate the associations among behavioral, psychological, and background factors and four components of physical fitness: (a) cardiorespiratory endurance (1.5-mile run), (b) muscular endurance (sit-ups), (c) flexibility (sit-and-reach test), and (d) body composition (estimated percent fat). Controlling for exercise activities, physical fitness was positively associated with “wellness” behaviors, believing in the importance of physical fitness, expecting to reach/maintain ideal weight, being athletic as a youth, and education; fitness was negatively associated with tobacco use, “preventive/avoidance” behaviors, age, and ever being overweight. Identifying and dealing constructively with such factors may help to structure better fitness programs tailored to the individual.