The Relationship between the Internal-External Locus of Control and the Level of Aspiration Among Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University Students in light of Some Demographic Variables
Abstract
The research aims at exploring the nature of the relationship between the internal-external locus of control and the level of aspiration of Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) students in light of some demographic variables. The study focuses specifically on identifyingthe degree of difference between students with high and low levels of aspiration as measured by their scores on the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. It explores whether the IMSIU students' degree of differences in the internal-external locus of control can be attributed to educationallevel (second - seventh) or to their major of study (natural sciences - humanities). The research also investigates whether the degree of differences of the aspiration level of IMSIU students can be ascribed to their educational level (second - seventh) or to their major of study (natural sciences - humanities).
To meet these objectives, the researcher adopts the random stratified method in selecting the participants of the study that amounts to 180 on-campus BA students of IMSIU. The sample of the research is divided into two groups according to educational level. The first group is composed of (92) second level students; (47) students are from the humanities major represented by the College of Social Sciences, and (45) students are from the natural sciences major represented by the College of Science and the College of Computer and Information Sciences. The second group is composed of (88) seventh level students; (43) students are from the humanities major represented by the College of Social Sciences, and (45) students are from the natural sciences major represented by the College of Science and the College of Computer and Information Sciences. The researcher has applied a modified version of Rotter Locus of Control Scale adapted to the Saudi Context (Al-Ghufayli, 2012) and Scale of Aspiration Level (Mu`awwaDH & MuHammad 2006).
Data analysis reveals a statistically significant negative correlation at the level of 0.01 between the participants' scores on the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale and their scores on the Aspiration Level Scale. There are statistically significant differences at the level of 0.05 between the average scores of the humanities and the natural sciences majors in favor of the latter as measured by the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. There are statistically significant differences at the level of 0.01 between the average scores of the students of low and high levels of aspiration on the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale in favor of the former.
