Locus of Control and the Intention to Lose Weight

The relative importance of personal attitudes toward losing weight and the social pressures for weight loss in determining intentions to lose weight was compared for locus of control internals and externals who valued health and/or physical appearance highly. Findings consistent with the hypothesized differential importance of these two predictors of behavior intention for individuals designated internal and external by a behavior-specific locus of control scale are presented. Theoretical and practical applications of the findings are discussed.; ’ Recent studies by Tobias and MacDonald,’2 Balch and Ross,2 and; Wallston, et al’3 have found a relationship between the personality variable of internal versus external locus of control and success in differing types of weight reduction programs. Balch and Ross2 found significant correlations between internal locus of control scores on Rotter’s9 I-E scale and successful completion of a self-control weight reduction program. They suggest that use of locus of control measures to identify individuals likely to benefit from specific types of treatments may be a promising approach for weight reduction programs