Locus of control and family stability in elementary school students

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the incidence of family cohesion in the formation of locus of control in students of a primary school in the canton of Quevedo, province of Los Ríos, Ecuador. A population of 190 individuals was considered, divided into 90 students (47%), 90 parents (47%), and 10 teachers (6%), to whom a two-question survey was administered, with possible answers: "agree", "maybe", and "disagree". Forty-eight percent of the students considered that interpersonal relationships influence the development of their personality and interpersonal relationships, while 53% indicated that they were capable and prepared to defend their personal interests. As for the parents, 57% considered that interfamily communication facilitates interpersonal relationships in an optimal way, and 34% considered that their constituents feel that the events in their lives are determined by the people who have authority over them. Forty percent of the teachers maintained that students' personal actions determine their present and future, while 60% shared the idea that the number of friends a student has is "maybe" determined by his or her likeability. Children and adolescents should consider that a person's actions will always have consequences, so they should be the ones to make the most appropriate decisions, based on prior guidance from their parents or guardians.