Locus of Control and Subjective Wellbeing: Examining Gender Differences

Subjective wellbeing (SWB) is a person's evaluation of his or her life, including both cognitive judgments of life satisfaction and affective evaluations of moods and emotions. Locus of control (LOC) is an extent to which individuals believe that they can control events that affect them. The present study was designed to compare and examine the relationship between locus of control and subjective well being among male and female adults. For this, a sample of 60 participants (30 males and 30 females) was collected using convenience sampling technique. They were administered Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (Rotter, 1966) and Subjective Well Being Inventory (Nagpal&Sell, 1985). Group differences were evaluated using t test. Group differences between male and female adults were significant on overall locus of control, overall subjective well being and its dimensions i.e. well-being positive affect, expectation ach-congruence, transcendence, social support, perceived Ill health and well-being negative affect. Moreover, significant positive relations of overall locus of control were found with overall subjective well being, confidence in coping, family group support, inadequate mental mastery and general well-being negative affect in both the groups. Also, overall locus of control was significantly and positively correlated with transcendence and perceived ill health in with male group while significant positive relations were found with general well being positive affect, expectation-congruence, primary group concern and deficiency in social contacts in the female group. Hence, both the above constructs are important in accounting for gender differences in adults.