Assignment of Subjective Probabilities to Verbal Probability Phrases as a Function of Locus of Control and Set Conditions

Summary

Thirty Internal locus of control and 30 External locus of control male Ss were assigned further to one of three treatment conditions (10 each): Skill set (100% contrived reinforcement on a mutilated word task presented as “skill-related”); Chance set (50% contrived reinforcement on the same task presented as “chance-related”); and an Ambiguous control condition (not introduced to task). On the dependent variable of assignment of subjective probabilities (P_N) to probability-related words, Internals elevated P_N under Skill set; Externals did not respond differentially to Skill and Chance sets and “preferred” the nonevaluative Ambiguous condition. Chance set was not responded to differentially by Internals and Externals.