Extraversion and external locus of control in a youthful offender population

Abstract

A correlational study between extraversion as measured by Eysenck’s Personality Inventory and external locus of control as measured by Rotter’s Internal-External Scale indicated no significant relationship in a sample of youthful offenders from the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre. Examination of Indian - white differences in test scores revealed a significant difference between groups in extraversion, no significant difference in neuroticism and no significant difference in degree of external control expectancy. The findings are discussed with regard to problems of test construction and in terms of factors or variables which might confound correlations between the EPI and I-E scales. A factor analysis of Rotter’s I-E scale generated four factors, suggesting for the purposes of future research that external locus of control be considered a heterogeneous personality variable and that it may be an especially useful variable when related to previous research on the personalities of delinquents.