PsychologicalReports, 1991, 68, 528-530. @ Psychological Reports 1991
EXTERNAL LOCUS O F CONTROL IN CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS ' VALJEAN N. McNEILL AND BRENDA 0. GILBERT Southern lllinoir University at Carbondale Summary.-The relationship of type of home of origin [alcoholic parent(s) versus nonalcoholic parent(s)l to locus of control was assessed. Perceived level of parental alcohol abuse (MAST score) did not predict 121 students' locus of control. However, external orientation was significantly and positively correlated with having a parent who drank heavily and scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and significantly and negatively correlated with the Rosenberg Self-esteem Inventory and the Possible Self Questionnaire.
Goss and Morosko (1970) reported alcoholic parents and their problemdrinking children to be internally oriented (using Rotter's I-E Scale), yet Butts and Chotlos (1973) (using Rotter's I-E Scale) and Nowicki and Hopper (1974) (using the Nowicki-Strickland I-E Scale) reported both alcoholic parents and their children to be externally oriented. Goss and Morosko's study had several significant weaknesses in the design (Butts & Chotlos, 1973; Nowicki & Hopper, 1974), including significant age and social class differences between the alcoholic abuse and control groups and the fact that their subjects were drawn from an outpatient treatment population. Nowicki and Hopper (1974) controlled for these weaknesses and reported alcoholic parents and their children to be externally oriented. The findings of Butts and Chotlos (1973) offer support for Nowicki and Hopper's claim that age and socioeconomic status affect I-E score. In their study, class and age influenced the level of reported I-E scores, with higher socioeconomic status and college-age respondents being more internal. We tested whether college students from homes with one alcoholic parent were more external in locus of control than their peers. Caucasian students were 72 women and 49 men of an average age of 20.5 yr. and a range 18 to 30 years. They were from introductory psychology classes of a large midwestern university and received class credit for participating. All participants were from two-parent f a d e s , either both natural parents or parent and stepparent. After completing an informed consent, participants completed a Personal Data Sheet. Then they completed the following questionnaires three
'Requests for reprints should be sent to Brenda 0. Gilbert, Psychology Department, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901.
529
CHILDREN OFALCOHOLICS: LOCUS OF CONTROL
times, once for themselves and once as if they were each parent: Rotter's Internal-External Control of Reinforcement Scale (Rotter, 1966), Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (Seltzer, 1971), Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, 1967), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), and the Possible Self Questionnaire (McNeill, Gilbert, & Dofinger, 1989). A regression analysis was computed using scores for both parents' MAST scores to predict students' locus of control score. The model was not predictive (F=.12, p = .33). Although type of home did not predict locus of control, several significant correlations emerged between external orientation and other variables. External orientation correlated significantly and positively with having a parent who drank heavily (r = .21, p< .01) but not with having a parent who drank little or moderately (r = .15, p > .05). Also, external orientation correlated significantly with scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (r = 2 2 , p< . O I ) and significantly and negatively with scores on the Possible Self Questionnaire (r = -.3O, p
EXTERNAL LOCUS O F CONTROL IN CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS ' VALJEAN N. McNEILL AND BRENDA 0. GILBERT Southern lllinoir University at Carbondale Summary.-The relationship of type of home of origin [alcoholic parent(s) versus nonalcoholic parent(s)l to locus of control was assessed. Perceived level of parental alcohol abuse (MAST score) did not predict 121 students' locus of control. However, external orientation was significantly and positively correlated with having a parent who drank heavily and scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and significantly and negatively correlated with the Rosenberg Self-esteem Inventory and the Possible Self Questionnaire.
Goss and Morosko (1970) reported alcoholic parents and their problemdrinking children to be internally oriented (using Rotter's I-E Scale), yet Butts and Chotlos (1973) (using Rotter's I-E Scale) and Nowicki and Hopper (1974) (using the Nowicki-Strickland I-E Scale) reported both alcoholic parents and their children to be externally oriented. Goss and Morosko's study had several significant weaknesses in the design (Butts & Chotlos, 1973; Nowicki & Hopper, 1974), including significant age and social class differences between the alcoholic abuse and control groups and the fact that their subjects were drawn from an outpatient treatment population. Nowicki and Hopper (1974) controlled for these weaknesses and reported alcoholic parents and their children to be externally oriented. The findings of Butts and Chotlos (1973) offer support for Nowicki and Hopper's claim that age and socioeconomic status affect I-E score. In their study, class and age influenced the level of reported I-E scores, with higher socioeconomic status and college-age respondents being more internal. We tested whether college students from homes with one alcoholic parent were more external in locus of control than their peers. Caucasian students were 72 women and 49 men of an average age of 20.5 yr. and a range 18 to 30 years. They were from introductory psychology classes of a large midwestern university and received class credit for participating. All participants were from two-parent f a d e s , either both natural parents or parent and stepparent. After completing an informed consent, participants completed a Personal Data Sheet. Then they completed the following questionnaires three
'Requests for reprints should be sent to Brenda 0. Gilbert, Psychology Department, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901.
529
CHILDREN OFALCOHOLICS: LOCUS OF CONTROL
times, once for themselves and once as if they were each parent: Rotter's Internal-External Control of Reinforcement Scale (Rotter, 1966), Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (Seltzer, 1971), Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, 1967), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), and the Possible Self Questionnaire (McNeill, Gilbert, & Dofinger, 1989). A regression analysis was computed using scores for both parents' MAST scores to predict students' locus of control score. The model was not predictive (F=.12, p = .33). Although type of home did not predict locus of control, several significant correlations emerged between external orientation and other variables. External orientation correlated significantly and positively with having a parent who drank heavily (r = .21, p< .01) but not with having a parent who drank little or moderately (r = .15, p > .05). Also, external orientation correlated significantly with scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (r = 2 2 , p< . O I ) and significantly and negatively with scores on the Possible Self Questionnaire (r = -.3O, p
