Extraversion, locus of control, and individual differences in conditionability in organizations

Abstract

Conducted a study with a total of 142 graduate students in 3 classes to test the hypothesis that extraversion-introversion and external-internal locus of control would predict individual differences in responsivity to a specific organizational molar response contingency; extraversion-introversion and locus of control were measured by the Eysenck Personality Inventory and Rotter's Internal-External Control Scale, respectively. Ss were given bonus points for performance on random quizzes testing daily preparation. Results show that extraversion and external locus of control correlated negatively with total bonus points earned, a finding that could not be explained by confounding aptitude differences. Analysis of acquisition curves, however, suggests that the contingency may have differentially affected internals vs externals but not introverts vs extraverts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)