Relatedness and control: An empirical investigation

Abstract

This thesis develops the theoretical construct of "relatedness." Relatedness is defined as a sense of connectedness or meaning which provides for acceptance and serenity in the face of "the things I cannot change" and is an empirical extension of the work of Victor Frankl in Man's Search for Meaning. To examine the possible interaction between locus of control and an hypothesized "relatedness" phenomenon, four hundred forty four students of introductory psychology at the University of Arizona were given the Rotter Social Reaction Inventory and the Antonovsky Sense of Coherence Scale. A subscale measuring relatedness was constructed by factor analysis of Rotter and Antonovsky items combined. Five subscales of the Rotter were identified by factor analysis. Correlation was performed between the Relatedness subscale and the Rotter and its various subscales. Regression procedures were applied using Relatedness and Sex as independent variables and the Rotter as the dependent variable.