--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The researchers discovered that there was…" description: "\"“The researchers discovered that there was a dramatic shift from an internal to an external locus of control in children of all ages, from elementary s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b56/jessica-joelle-alexander-70232_elementary-school_the-researchers-discovered-that-there-wa_1305612.jpg" --- # The researchers discovered that there was a dramatic shift… ![“The researchers discovered that there was a dramatic shift from an internal to an external locus of control in children of all ages, from elementary school to college. To give you an idea of how great a shift it was, young people in 1960 were 80 percent more likely to claim that they had control…” quote by Jessica Joelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b56/jessica-joelle-alexander-70232_elementary-school_the-researchers-discovered-that-there-wa_1305612.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b56/jessica-joelle-alexander-70232_elementary-school_the-researchers-discovered-that-there-wa_1305612.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b56/jessica-joelle-alexander-70232_elementary-school_the-researchers-discovered-that-there-wa_1305612.jpg) > ““The researchers discovered that there was a dramatic shift from an internal to an external locus of control in children of all ages, from elementary school to college. To give you an idea of how great a shift it was, young people in 1960 were 80 percent more likely to claim that they had control over their lives than children in 2002, who were more prone to say they lacked such personal control.”” [Jessica Joelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-joelle-alexander/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights a generational decline in perceived personal control, showing children now feel less agency over their lives compared to those in earlier decades **In simple terms:** People feel less in control today than in the past Key Takeaway Recognize and foster personal agency in youth Themes psychology generational change agency control well‑being Mood concerned reflective Type research observational When to use this quote - parenting - education - mental health programs - career counseling - public policy Key Concepts locus of control self‑efficacy social influence Questions to Reflect On - How can we empower young people to regain a sense of control? - What societal changes contributed to this shift? A Different Perspective External factors like socioeconomic shifts may also influence perceptions, not just individual mindset ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-children-1720459/) [Control Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-lives/) [Elementary school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elementary-school/) [Locus Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locus-control-3793252/) [Personal Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-control-2189362/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Shift Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shift-young-4302556/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [“Researchers have found that people with an internal locus of control tend to praise or blame themselves for success or failure, rather than assigning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/researchers-have-found-that-people-with-an-internal-locus-of-control/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“An internal locus of control emerges when we develop a mental habit of transforming chores into meaningful choices, when we assert that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/an-internal-locus-of-control-emerges-when-we-develop-a-mental-habit/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“Our beliefs about how much personal control people have over their lives, which are shaped in part by the level of individualism to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/our-beliefs-about-how-much-personal-control-people-have-over-their/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [“Our physical health is something over which we can have far greater personal control than we probably suspect”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seligman-martin/our-physical-health-is-something-over-which-we-can-have-far-greater/) [Seligman Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seligman-martin/) > [“Posture is personal. 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