Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

197

Date

2010

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Instr and Curr Leadership

Concentration

Instruction and Curriculum

Committee Chair

Deborah Lowther

Committee Member

Michelle Stockton

Committee Member

Louis Franceschini

Committee Member

Mary Ransdell

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to utilize a quantitative survey methodology, which explored the characteristicsof locus of control and health locus of control between a rural Tennessee population and an urban Tennessee population using scores from Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (LOC) and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (HLOC). The results of this study help bridge the gap in the limited studies available that use LOC and HLOC to explore the differences between the two populations. Demographic information on the survey (age, gender, race, annual household income, size of household, level of education, spirituality) and the scores from the LOC and the HLOC were investigated to find the predictors of locus of control and health locus of control for the samples. A total of 156 people completed the voluntary survey, 79 reported rural residence and 77 reported urban residence. results showed a relationship between locus of control scores and health locus of control scores, r = -0.258, p < 0.01. The rural group did not score significantly different than the urban group on helth locus of control. For the entire population, gender (p = .010) and spirituality (p = .006) were the only significant predictors of HLOC. For the rural participants, race (p = .004), income (p = .014), and level of education (p = .032) were significant predictors of HLOC. For the urban population gender was the only significant predictor of HLOC (p = .013). The rural population did not have any common predictors for locus of controland health locus of control. The urban population did have gender as a common predictor for locus of control and helath locus of control. The current study did not show the strong differences that were expected between these two populations. General LOC scores and HLOC scores were similar reguardless of geographic differences. However, through an analysis of possible factors that could contribute to LOC and HLOC scores this study gives insight into the specific needs of the different populations so that interventions may be taylored to the specific needs of the people.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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