A total of 45 4th- and 5th-grade males who were either highly internal or highly external in locus of control (as measured by a modification of the Bialer Locus of Control scale for children) were ...observed, to assess the parental influence on their locus of control. Each S was seen with his mother and father separately in a structured interaction and then with both parents in a Family Rorschach. Support was found for a role-complementarity model of locus of control development. External sons more frequently had highly directive parents. Internal sons more frequently had less directive (suggestive) parents. These differences were somewhat clearer with mothers than with fathers. The only historical or demographic difference found was a greater number of reported learning problems in external sons than in internal sons. (19 ref)
