The Relationship between Locus of Control and Personal-Emotional Adjustment and Social Adjustment to College Life in Students with and without Learning Disabilities

This study investigated the relationship between locus of control and social and personal-emotional adjustment to college life in students with and without learning disabilities (LD). Differences in locus of control in college students with and without LD were also examined. The Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal/External Locus of Control Scale (Nowicki & Duke, 1974) was used to measure locus of control; two subscales from the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (Baker & Siryk, 1989) measured the social adjustment and personal-emotional adjustment to college. Thirty-one undergraduate college students with LD and 30 students without LD participated. Results showed a significant relationship between locus of control and both social adjustment and personal-emotional adjustment for both groups. Students with external locus of control tended to have higher adjustment scores than others. No differences were found in the locus of control orientation between students with and without LD, and in the personal-emotional adjustment to college life. Students with LD scored higher in social adjustment than their peers without LD. (Contains 3 tables.)