Feelings of control and the self-concept of Jordanian prisoners

Abstract EN

Psychology recognizes two loci of control for a person's perceptions and behavior.

In an external locus of control, a person feels controlled by outside factors, and such persons tend to engage in self-destructive behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and socially destructive behaviors that may result in breaking the laws.

In an internal locus of a control, personsfeel that they are in control of the situation, which corresponds to various kinds of socially approved achievements and greater personal satisfaction.

This study addresses the relationship between locus of control and self-concept among Jordanian prisoners, and the extent to which social and demographic factors—such as gender, age, level of education, kind of crime, place of residence, occupation, incomes and time spent in jail— predict the locus of control.

These data allow cause and effect modeling and suggestions for corrective rehabilitation within the Arab world.