Tidigare forskning har visat att människor överskattar chanserna för att positiva händelser ska inträffa dem och underskattar riskerna för att negativa händelser ska inträffa dem jämfört med genomsnittet. Detta kallas orealistisk optimism (OO). En faktor som påverkar detta är grad av upplevd kontroll. Studiens huvudsakliga syfte var att undersöka sambanden mellan upplevd kontroll och OO. I en enkätstudie undersöktes OO och upplevd kontroll för diverse händelser. Deltagarna fick t ex svara på hur sannolikt det är att de utsattes för vissa händelser jämfört med genomsnittet. Händelserna var bl a hälsorelaterade. Deltagarna var studenter från en högskola i Mellansverige, 18 män och 109 kvinnor. OO uppstod för alla händelser utom två. Det fanns vissa samband mellan OO och upplevd kontroll. Nytt med studien är att vissa händelser som i tidigare undersökningar skattats som okontrollerbara i själva verket kan upplevas som delvis kontrollerbara. Sambanden mellan OO och upplevd kontroll bör vidare undersökas.

Lucida drömmar (LD) innebär att drömmaren inser, under drömmens gång, att omgivningen och händelserna runtomkring är en dröm och inger förmågan att kunna påverka och reflektera över händelserna i drömmen. I lucid dreaming treatment (LDT) får drömmaren lära sig att förändra mardrömmars händelseförlopp. Dock blir inte alla lucida och många tror att det är själva känslan av kontroll som ger en effekt. Studien kommer utforska om kontroll utgör en nyckelkomponent i LDT genom att undersöka sambandet mellan LD och locus of control (LoC), depression och subjektivt välbefinnande där LD verkar som en medierande variabel mellan å ena sidan LoC och å andra sidan depression samt subjektivt välbefinnande. Deltagarna (n = 54) i undersökningen har fyllt i formulär gällande frekvens av drömmar och LD samt formulären Rotter’s 29 item internal-external scale, Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale, International positive and negative affect schedule short form, Satisfaction with life scale och Pittsburgh sleep quality index. Undersökningen gav inte stöd för ställda hypoteserna att LD har en medierande effekt i sambandet mellan LoC och depression eller mellan LoC och subjektivt välbefinnande. Dock har den visat på en liten signifikant korrelation mellan högre frekvens av LD och högre grad av negativ affekt. Resultatet antyder att LD korrelerar med känslor, vilket bör undersökas vidare då affekt skulle kunna vara en komponent inom LDT via möjligheten att förändra känslor från negativa till positiva.

Very little is known about the relationship between locus of control (LOC) orientation and mild or temporary hearing losses associated with chronic otitis media. Furthermore, it seems this relationship may never have been studied in the unique cultural context of Northern Canadian Native Indian societies. The present study investigated the relationship between LOC orientation and hearing status category among Carrier-Sekani children from Northern British Columbia. The relationship between LOC orientation, chronologic age, and academic achievement was also explored. Demographic data collected for a larger study, provided an opportunity to conduct some post hoc analyses on LOC orientation, place in the family, number of parents in the home and family income. Ninety Carrier-Sekani students from grades four to twelve, received a modified Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children. Students were divided into two broad categories, normally hearing and those having a history of a hearing loss. The latter category was further divided into students with a pure tone loss, students with a history of chronic otitis media and those with observed otitis media at the time of testing. Students could be members of more than one sub-group. Correlation coefficients and Analyses of Variance were computed to explore the relationship between LOC orientation and the independent variables. No significant relationship was discovered between LOC orientation and category of hearing loss. An internal LOC orientation was positively associated with chronologic age, medium family income, two parents in the home and partially associated with academic achievement. This study indicates that for Carrier-Sekani students, a mild or temporary hearing loss is not significantly associated with an external LOC orientation. It seems that school related variables and demographic variables commonly associated with LOC orientation in the samples described in the literature are also present in the sample studied in this project.

The term "empowerment" is frequently used by organizational researchers, management practitioners, and consultants. However, despite the popularity of the term, there is a lack of empirical work and no generally accepted definition. As part of a thorough multi-disciplinary literature review, fourteen different conceptualizations for the term empowerment were discovered and classified into four categories: Micro (intra-psychic), Meso (relational-interactive), Macro (structural), and Misnomer (bogus). As a result of this work, both a new definition and a multi-level process model of empowerment are offered. Empowerment is defined here as an enhancing and energizing context specific process that expands an individual's power and feelings of trust, is usually facilitated by another, and results in increased levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy and other characteristics related to personal growth and control, which eventually lead to outcomes such as performance and satisfaction. The proposed multi-level process model postulates that the process of empowerment is driven by changes in information, responsibility, and active belief, and mediated by intra-psychic factors. This model was empirically tested in a between-subject, pre-test, post-test simulation design. Over a period of three weeks 135 graduate students completed a novel application of in-basket exercises, within which an empowerment manipulation was embedded. This manipulation included increasing information, responsibility, and active belief for the empowered manipulation and decreasing these three components for the disempowered manipulation. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that, as predicted, the manipulation had a significant impact on the three mediating intra-psychic factors (self-efficacy, self-esteem, and locus of control) and an analysis of variance found significant results in the predicted direction on the dependent variable of job satisfaction. Regression analyses revealed the predicted mediation relationship between the intra-psychic variables and the dependent variable of job satisfaction. However, none of the analyses yielded significant results for the performance measures (initiative, sensitivity, planning and organizing, delegation, administrative control, problem analysis, judgement, and decisiveness). Several potential explanations are offered for these results, including a motivational interpretation which focuses on participant's motivation directionality. Theoretical and practical implications for these results are discussed as well as directions for future research.

ABSTRACT Many older African American adults have inadequate health literacy and are more likely to have chronic illnesses needing medication therapy. African Americans continue to experience significant health disparities in the incidences of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It was postulated that ethnic disparities in medication compliance are related to a dynamic interplay between low health literacy and health locus of control. Thirty older African Americans taking at least one prescription medication were interviewed. Although the vast majority was well-educated, only 53% displayed adequate health literacy. Most of the participants believed they controlled their health, and over half were noncompliant with their medications. Poor health literacy and health locus of control appeared to influence medication compliance in older African Americans.

Master’s theses are carried out at Vilnius Pedagogical University, at the faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology department of Psychological didactics. The investigation is based on K. Wallston’s 1978 methodology of Multidimensional scale of Health locus control and on A. Petrulyte 1985 self evaluation scale. The main purpose of the work is to analysis specific features of health locus control and self - evaluation of soldiers of compulsory military service. In research involvement 239 soldiers of compulsory military service and 240 students of Klaipėda University. The investigation showed that the average of soldiers of compulsory military service and students health locus control index is different. The soldiers and students is rely on HLC ( = 24,80), but there is a tendency that the PHLC ( = 22,20) is higher than CHC ( =20,26). The analysis showed that solders and students CHC negatively and statistically correlates with cognitive self – evaluation (r = -0,119 p = 0,009). Students HLC positively and statistically correlates with emotional self – evaluation (r = 0,130 p = 0,045), students CHC negatively and statistically correlates with cognitive self – evaluation (r = -0,205 p = 0,001). Soldiers of compulsory military service HLC, CHC and PHLC health locus of control did not statistically correlates with cognitive and emotional self – evaluation.

Darbo autorius: Vilma Balandaitė Darbo tema: Profesijos pedagogų kontrolės lokusas ir jų asmenybės konfliktiškumo – agresyvumo pasireiškimas ugdymo procese. Darbo rengimo vieta: Lietuvos žemės ūkio universitetas. Profesinės pedagogikos ir psichologijos katedra. Akademija, 2006 – 2008 metai. Darbo apimtis: 62 psl. Darbe yra: 8 lentelės, 13 paveikslai, 4 priedai. Literatūros šaltinių: 25. Tyrimo objektas: Marijampolės kolegijos profesijos pedagogų kontrolės lokusas ir jų konfliktiškumas - agresyvumas. Tyrimo metodai: 1. Literatūros šaltinių sisteminimas ir analizė. 2. Respondentų identifikavimas jų kvalifikacijos ir lyties požiūriu. 3. Dž. Roterio E - I skalė. 4. Asmenybės agresyvumo – konfliktiškumo testas. 5. Statistinė duomenų analizė. Tyrimo rezultatai: Marijampolės kolegijoje daugiau yra eksternališkos nuostatos profesijos pedagogų nei internališkos. Dauguma profesijos pedagogų yra bekompromisinės asmeybės. Palyginus įgijusių ir neįgijusių pedagoginį išsilavinimą profesijos pedagogų agresyvumą – konfliktiškumą paaiškėjo, kad pedagogai įgiję pedagoginį išsilavinimą daugiau pasižymi savybėmis reikalingomis konstruktyviam bendravimui. Profesijos pedagogais dirbantys vyrai internališkesni nei moterys. Moterys yra kerštingesnės, netolerantiškesnės, linkę greičiau supykti ir įsižeisti. / Work includes: 8 tables, 13 pictures, 4 addendums. Sources of literature: 25. Subject of research: Marijampole college profession educationalists‘ control lokus and their conflict – agression. Research methods: 1. Literature sources systematization and analysis. 2. The identification of respondents according to their qualification and sex. 3. J. B. Roter E - I skale. 4. Test of personality‘s agression - conflict. 5. The statistical handiing of data. Research results: More profession educationalists in Marijampole college are of external control than internal. Most of profession educationalists are uncompromising persons. Comparing agression - conflict of the educationalists, who graduated and not graduated for pedagogical education, it came to light, that educationalists, who graduated for pedagogical education, have had a good track record in features necessary for constructive communication. The men, working as profession educationalists, are more internal than the women. The women are more vindictive, more intolerant, prone to get angry and to take offence faster.

The increase in globalisation has led many organisations world-wide and in South African to send more employees on international assignments than ever before, with every indication that the use of expatriates will continue to expand into the 21st century. Expatriate assignments are important to the success of multinational companies because they can help build the level of global competence within the organisation, and expatriates often fill critical positions in host countries (e.g. new market development, technology transfer, joint venture negotiations and subsidiary management). Given the strategic importance multinational companies attach to global assignments, the harm an unsuccessful expatriate may cause in the host country can be detrimental to the multinational company's future global business. Implications of poor expatriate cross-cultural adjustment include inadequate performance, psychological stress, premature termination of the assignment, negative effects on the expatriates' families and the long-term career repercussions upon repatriation after failed expatriate assignments. Thus, in order to remain competitive in today's global marketplace, multinational companies have recognised that the attraction, selection, development and retention of employees who can live and work effectively outside their own national borders are crucial to their success. This study proposed that personality dispositions, coping, stress and expatriates' motivation for accepting the assignment can predict three criteria of expatriate success, namely (a) the desire to terminate the assignment, (b) performance, and (c) the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates. The study population consisted of 95 expatriates from eight multi-national organisations. The research method for each of the three articles consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used to achieve the research objectives. Descriptive statistics ( e g means, standard deviations, skewness and kurtosis) were used to vii analyse the data. Cronbach alpha coefficients and exploratory factor analysis were used to assess the reliability and validity of the measuring instruments, and multiple regression analyses was conducted to determine the percentage of the variance in the dependent variables that is predicted by the independent variables. The Neo-Personality Inventory Revised, Work Locus of Control Scale, Expatriate Stress Inventory, a biographical questionnaire, which included expatriates' motivation for accepting the assignment (independent variables) and expatriates' cross-cultural adjustment. their desire to terminate the assignment and their performance (dependent variables) were administered. The results showed that external locus of control is related to avoidance. Avoidance coping of expatriates' was best predicted by an external locus of control and approach coping of expatriates' was best predicted by an internal locus of control. The results showed that expatriates' desire to terminate the assignment is related to their cross-cultural adjustment and that personality dimensions are related to their cross-cultural adjustment and their desire to terminate the assignment. Personality dimensions explained 12% of the variance in expatriates' cross-cultural adjustment. Assertiveness and cross-cultural adjustment explained 17% of expatriates' desire to terminate the assignment. The results showed that cultural stress explained 17% of the variance in expatriates' cross-cultural adjustment. Assertiveness and cross-cultural adjustment explained 28% of expatriates' desire to terminate the assignment and extrinsic motivation explained 20% of expatriates' performance. Recommendations are made regarding future research and practical implications for expatriate management. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Contemporary South African higher education institutions have undergone many drastic changes in recent years with regard to the demographic composition of students and organisational structures. Huge demands in terms of transformation have been placed on these institutions while they have simultaneously been transforming from former Technikons to Universities of Technology. This causes staff to be faced with major changes which affect all aspects of the institution. The objective of this research was to investigate whether role overload, job satisfaction and locus of control could be used to predict turnover intention of employees in a higher education institution. Further objectives included empirically determining whether locus of control had a mediating effect between role overload, job satisfaction and turnover intention. A cross-sectional survey design was used and an availability sample was taken from a South African higher education institution («=210). Five measuring instruments were administered as part of a larger questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data and a series of regressions was used to test for the hypothesised mediating effect. The reliability coefficients obtained for the scales indicated that the Cronbach Alpha coefficients for qualitative role overload, job satisfaction and turnover intention were acceptable; however, those for quantitative role overload and locus of control were below the recommended cut-off mark. The results showed that there was a strong relationship between the dimensions of overload, indicating that the feeling of having too much to do in the time available is accompanied by the feeling that individuals do not have the skills to complete their required tasks. Furthermore, it was found that if employees feel that they have too much to do and that they do not possess the skills to complete tasks, they will be dissatisfied with their jobs. Both quantitative and qualitative role overload contributed to the participant's thoughts of leaving the institution and it was concluded that a satisfied employee is less likely to think of leaving the organisation. Locus of control had minimal relationships with quantitative and qualitative role overload, as well as with turnover intention. Locus of control was, however, found to be related to job satisfaction. Locus of control was found to be a poor predictor of turnover intention and did not mediate the relationship between role overload and job satisfaction on the one hand, and turnover intention on the other. It was concluded that job satisfaction was the strongest predictor of turnover intention. By way of conclusion, recommendations were made both for the organisation and for future research. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Since the change in the political dispensation in South Africa in 1994, South Africans are under increasing pressure to accept the new, changing order as a given. The institution where the research was carried out, the South African Secret Service (SASS), has also not escaped these changes and there have been various developments which indicate that some employees are not adjusting to these changes. The purpose of this research has been to determine to what extent a relationship exists between the presence or absence of certain psychological forces in individuals and the coping strategies which they use. The psychological forces were researched and analysed from the fortigenic paradigm, which is aimed at focusing on the origin of certain forces/strengths within man that are of cardinal importance for effective functioning. In the literature study the main focus was on aspects such as coping with change, after which the coping p cess and the various coping types and strategies were addressed. An important element of the literature study consisted of the profiles of copers and non-copers, which focused on the cognitive, emotional and conative fields/areas. Three different psychological approaches, namely pathogenesis, salutogenesis and fortigenesis were addressed, with emphasis on the latter. The fortigenic approach was analysed from the perspective of a number of forces, as identified by Strümpfer. A combination of a quantitative survey design and a qualitative research design (the phenomenological method) was used, with a sample population of 50 persons from the research environment within the SASS. In the research five qualitative measuring instruments (the Locus of Control Questionnaire of Scheepers, the Life Orientation Questionnaire of Antonovsky, the Personal Views Survey of Kobasa, the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire of Sherer & Maddux and the Self-Control Scale of Rosenbaum) and a qualitative instrument (the phenomenological interview) were used to determine the presence or absence of the fortigenic forces in the respondents. The measuring instruments were applied to the whole population, after which a stanine scale was used to identify persons with low and high scores according to the fortigenic construct. An interview based on the phenomenological approach was done with five persons with low and five with high scores. According to the results of the empirical study a statistically significant difference exists between the stanine scores of the five respondents with the highest scores and the five with the lowest scores and it is possible to subject these respondents to the qualitative measuring instrument. According to the qualitative measuring instrument (interview) there is a moderate to strong relationship between the strength of the employees' fortigenic forces and their ability to cope with organisational change. Three of the five employees with low stanine scores showed a strong resemblance to the profile of a non-coper, while two of the respondents showed a moderate resemblance. All five the respondents who achieved high stanine scores showed a strong resemblance to the profile of a coper. Recommendations are made for future study. / Thesis (MCom)--PU for CHE, 1999.