Internal-External Control, Learning, and Participation in Occupational Education

Abstract

The objectives were to determine the effect of internal-external control on retention of control-relevant versus noncontrol-relevant- information and to investigate differences among internal and external prison inmates in their participation in occupational edu cation programs. Results of a 2x3 factorially designed experiment supported the thesis that internal subjects retain more information than external subjects. However, that this difference depends on the perceived relevancy of such information to control was not supported by the data. A greater proportion of internal inmates participated in occupational education programs than did external inmates. It was concluded that a person can be described as possessing a generalized expectancy of control or lack of control over his environment, and that this characteristic can affect his willingness to learn information or engage in activities that could reasonably be expected to increase his chances of control over his environment, such as preparation for employability.