Sensei EQ-IQ Dynamic
Locus of Control
A video describing the 'Locus of Control Assessment' by the creator of the assessment, Dr Ranjan De Silva will be uploaded here.
The Concept
The "Locus of Control" concept, introduced by Julian B. Rotter in 1954, is a psychological framework that explores how individuals perceive the control they have over events in their lives. It is part of Rotter's broader Social Learning Theory.
The concept is divided into two main types:
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Internal Locus of Control: People with this perspective believe that their own actions and decisions directly influence outcomes. For example, they might attribute success to hard work or skill.
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External Locus of Control: Individuals with this view feel that external factors, such as luck, fate, or other people's actions, determine what happens to them.
Rotter's work emphasized that this perception of control significantly impacts behavior, motivation, and personality. It has since become a cornerstone in personality psychology and has been applied in various fields, including education, health, and organisational behaviour
How is the Locus of Control Assessment Distinct?
The Three Mental Activities
Philosophers and psychologists share the concept of the three mental activities that helps us to make sense, learn, decide, act etc. They are: thinking (cognitive), feeling (affective), and doing (conative).
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The cognitive (thinking) part is concerned with IQ, skills, reason, knowledge, experience and education.
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The affective (feeling) part is concerned with desires, motivation, attitudes, preferences, emotions, and values.
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The conative (doing) part is concerned with drive, necessity, innate force, instinct, mental energy and talents.
Whilst the Natural Abilities concept explores the conative aspect, and the EQ-IQ dynamics explores the cognitive and affective aspects, the Locus of control concept predominantly explores the affective (feeling) aspect as it is determined by desires, motivation, emotions and preferences influenced by attitudes and values to make purposeful choices.
Assessing the Three Mental Activities
Whilst there are many assessment tools for cognitive and affective mental activities, diagnostic tools available for conative assessments are rare. Here are some examples:
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Conative assessments such as the Kolbe Indexes and the Natural-Abilities Assessment evaluate natural abilities and instinctive talents we were born with, and identifies the way we act and behave.
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Cognitive assessments such as TOEFL and IELTS evaluate intelligence and what we have learned. It assesses knowledge, skills and our ability to remember and understand.
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Affective assessments (personality tests) such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Predictive Index and DiSC evaluate our social and cultural preferences, how we feel and what interests us.
Locus of Control assesses the affective (feeling) mental activities.
The Locus of Control is Developed Over Our Lifetime
Each person's Locus of Control is unique and develops over a lifetime based on our learnt experiences, the education we receive, the reading we do, and the values that are inculcated in us by family, friends, teachers, colleagues and society. Locus of Control score is presented as percentages which add up to 100%, EG: 70/30 = 70% internal and 30% external.​
Unlike many other scales that recommend a balanced score (E.g. EQ/IQ = 50/50), it is believed that we can and should aim for a 100% internal Locus score. Developing an attitude driven by decent human values, be driven by a greater purpose and mind and soul-nourishing practices such as prayer and meditation can facilitate this aspiration.
The Three Locus of Control Scales
While the combinations of EQ-IQ scores can be almost limitless based on the percentages of each aspect, we would like to simplify the combination to three broad scales.
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High Internal Locus (above 70%)
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High External Locus (below 30%)
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Transitional Locus (from 31% to 69%)
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These scales are further clarified below:
Locus of Control #1: Internal Locus
Internal Locus - ranges from a score between the percentages 100/0 to 70/30 Internal/External Locus. This level of ‘Locus of Control’ helps people make choices, even in the face of complex external challenges, in a manner that provides peace of mind, success, and happiness.
Locus of Control #2: External Locus
External Locus - ranges from a score between the percentages 30/70 to 0/100 Internal/External Locus. Making choices from this level of ‘Locus of Control’, specifically when faced with difficult external challenges, results in tension, stress, and compounding of the challenges. This happens because those with this level of ‘Locus of Control’, react to external challenges negatively and get emotionally impacted.
Locus of Control #3: Transitional Locus
Transitional Locus - ranges from a score between the percentages 69/31 to 31/69 Internal/External Locus. Those with this level of ‘Locus of Control’ are usually transitioning from External Locus to Internal Locus. In some rare situations, they may be transitioning from Internal Locus to External Locus as well. The choices made and how they feel, specifically when faced with difficult external challenges, is a mix of the Internal Locus and External Locus responses described above.
Benefits of Engaging with Locus of Control concept
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Engaging in the concept of ‘Locus of Control’, finding out our ‘Locus of Control’ level and taking steps to improve our ‘Locus of Control provides the following personal benefits
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Greater Sense of Responsibility – a tendency to take ownership of actions and decisions, which leads to more deliberate choices and personal growth.
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Increased Motivation and Initiative – a belief that we control our destiny fuels intrinsic motivation and a proactive attitude toward challenges.
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Higher Self-Efficacy & Confidence - we are more likely to believe in our ability to influence outcomes, which boosts confidence and resilience.
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Better Stress Management - we are more likely to take constructive action during stressful situations rather than feeling helpless or overwhelmed.
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Greater Life Satisfaction - a sense of control over our life often leads to more purposefulness, fulfilment and long-term satisfaction.
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Engaging in the concept of ‘Locus of Control’ and finding out our ‘Locus of Control’ level provides the following professional benefits
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Stronger Problem-Solving Skills – focus on what can be done, even in difficult circumstances, rather than blaming external factors.
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Better Performance and Productivity – focus on setting purposeful goals, formulate practical strategies and work with persistence to improve performance.
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More Effective Leadership. - empower others, take accountability, and lead by example.
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Higher Career Success - taking the initiative, seeking feedback, and adapting are likely to lead to accelerated professional growth.
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Greater Adaptability and Learning - see setbacks as opportunities to learn rather than as fixed failures caused by external forces.
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Engaging in the concept of ‘Locus of Control’ and finding out our ‘Locus of Control’ level provides the following mental health benefits
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Lower levels of anxiety and depression - being comfortable with the unknown leads to less anxiety. Not having unreasonable expectations reduces depression.
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Greater emotional regulation - welcoming feedback, knowing that it is the best way to learn and grow, eliminates negative emotional impact.
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A more optimistic outlook on life - a belief that life is abundant attracts abundance.
A general note: Having a strong internal locus of control is a key driver of purposefulness, success, personal fulfilment, and leadership impact. By moving towards a high Internal Locus of Control, will not only enhance your potential but also empower others to take charge of their paths. Keep challenging yourself, stay adaptable, and use your influence to inspire change. Your journey of self-leadership is an inspiration—keep leading with purpose and conviction!
The Locus of Control Assessment
The Locus of Control assessment is one of the few ways of assessing the mindset of a person in relation to the choices they make. This is a first step towards understanding the logic of one's thinking. More advanced tools such as the Developmental Action logic will help get a more in-depth understanding. Your result is a good one as that is what works for you now. It helps you identify the current Locus of Control and will help learn on how to improve it. Therefore it is important to respond based on your currntt beliefs. The results are not biased by gender, age, or race.
How to respond to the assessment results
The EQ-IQ Dynamics result helps us to understand ourselves, our type of work and its suitability. It is not always necessary to be anything other than being who we are to achieve our highest goals to be successful. Sometimes it is about making some adjustments to the EQ-IQ dynamic through relevant development or changing our roles to suit. The EQ-IQ Dynamic assessment gives us information about our EQ-IQ Dynamic and that of our families, friends, colleagues or any other group/team we belong to. It also highlights our responsibility to put our talents to work for the shared purposes of those with whom we make commitments.
Strategies for moving towards a high Internal Locus of Control
Having an Internal Locus of Control is an asset. Like any strength, anyone can achieve high levels of Internal Locus and/or can further refine and sustain current levels. Below are strategies to help you continue growing while also empowering those around you.
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Continuous Self-Improvement
· Set purposeful personal and professional goals that challenge and inspire.
· Regularly assess your progress and adjust your strategies when needed.
· Seek feedback from trusted mentors or peers to refine your approach.
Emotional Resilience & Adaptability
· Practice mindfulness and self-reflection to maintain clarity in thinking.
· Coping mechanisms for stress, such as exercise, meditation, or journaling.
· Reflect on setbacks, learn from them and view them as opportunities for growth rather than failures.
Empowering Others & Leadership Development
· Encourage friends, colleagues, and team members to take responsibility for their actions.
· When others express external locus beliefs (e.g., “This always happens to me”), gently help them to identify what they can control.
· Lead by example—your ability to take ownership will inspire others to do the same.
Expanding Your Sphere of Influence
· Take initiative in mentorship roles, helping others develop a growth mindset.
· Engage in problem-solving discussions to guide teams toward constructive solutions.
· Contribute to a positive Organisational culture by promoting accountability and resilience.
Taking thE Assessment
The Locus of Control assessment is easy to take. Respondents need to select the most likely option from the two beliefs listed in each section. Thirteen (13) such beliefs are offered for respondents to reflect on and select. The test could be completed in about 7-minutes, and the time taken would vary, depending on how fast respondents selected their responses. We use adaptive testing to ensure the practical relevance of results. A sample of the questionnaire is given below.
Sample of the questionnaire
The EQ-IQ Dynamics Assessment Brief Report – Free
We are pleased to offer you the ‘EQ-IQ Dynamics - Brief Report’ free of charge. Given below is a sample of the brief report.
The Locus of Control Assessment Comprehensive Report – at a Nominal Fee
If you would like to know more about your Locus of Control, you could get a Locus of Control comprehensive report at a nominal fee of US $10. Please click here to download a sample report to examine the format of information that will be available to you.
The quality of our choices depends on our Locus of Control, which depends on the cognitive, practical, psychosocial and contextual aspects of our lives. This is measured using the Locus of Control scale. Knowing our Locus of control helps us understand our choices and the need to change our mindset to make better choices. It also helps us to understand the choices of others and how we can improve responding to others. This will help improve relationships, communications, thinking, productivity, success, stress, peace of mind and happiness.
What Inspired the creation of the Locus of Control
Assessment?
Locus of Control is an important aspect of personality. The concept was originally developed by Julian Rotter in the 1950s (Rotter, 1966). Dr Ranjan De Silva recognised the need to develop a tool to measure ‘Locus of Contol’ In response to leaders, he was developing and, using his quarter century of experience, developed the Locus of Control assessment tool. This assessment helps clients to understand their Locus of Control, thereby assisting them in developing themselves and their teams.
Please click here, and fill out the request form, If you would like to;
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invest in the comprehensive report for a deeper exploration at a nominal fee of $ 10 per report, and/or,
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to receive a discounted rate, if you have more than 10 participants to take the assessments, and/or,
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if you would like to recommend this assessment to family, friends or colleagues - we will send them a link through email, and/or
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to discuss your personal, team, business issues to explore solutions (diagnostics, assessments, consulting, coaching, training and follow up support).
Further notes
Thank you for your interest in Purposeful Leadership Assessments.
We wish you all success!
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