Usefulness of the Rotter Internal/External Locus of Control Scale in measuring situational valences through attributions.

Attribution theory predicts that individuals generally perceive their own behavior as being caused by external factors, while seeing others' behavior as based on internal causes. However, the likelihood of attributing external causes to another's behavior increases as the situation becomes negative and one of high consensus. This study investigated the possible use of the Rotter I-E scale in measuring situation valences through the attributions of others. The Rotter scale was completed by three groups of female university students under 3 sets of instructions which manipulated the valence of the situation. The data indicated that observing others' behavior in a high consensus, negative situation resulted in external attributions, while behavior viewed in the context of a positive situation resulted in internal attributions.