ABSTRACT
At this point it would seem appropriate to address ourselves to the question of what generalizations may be drawn from this literature about the perception of control. It has been a continuous fear among researchers in this area that the dimension of locus of control is simply a euphemism for “good guys-bad guys,” with internality being a substitute for “intelligent, bright, and successful,” and externality for “dull, inadequate, and failure ridden.” In each data realm that we have explored, the findings, in fact, would lead one to believe that the locus of control dimension is an accurate euphemism for such extreme qualities. An intelligent inquiry, however, would include questions as to the reality of beliefs in control, to the problems of grandiosity and delusions of omnipotence, and to the realization that there is much in the way of life experience that must be accepted as inevitable and beyond man's ken. The creation of gods, idols, and other powers attest to man's awareness that he is indeed a limited creature, one that suffers infirmities and threats to his existence that are beyond any reasonable hope of control.
