Coping with stress and trait anxiety in terms of locus of control: A study with Turkish university students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether trait anxiety and coping with stress vary significantly according to locus of control. The study was carried out with 514 (286 female and 228 male) Turkish university students, aged between 18 and 27. It was found that average trait anxiety scores of the students with internal locus of control were significantly lower than those of the students with external locus of control and that average problem-focused coping with stress scores of the students with internal locus of control were significantly higher than those of the students with external locus of control. There was no significant difference in incidence of avoidance and seeking social support between the students with internal locus of control and those students with external locus of control.