Abstract
M.A.
This study was conducted to ascertain whether there is a significant relationship between an internal locus of control orientation and elite sport performance. The question can be asked if Springbok athletes have a more internal locus of control orientation than provincial athletes and athletes in training and whether provincial athletes have a more internal locus of control than athletes in training. The term locus of control refers to the amount of control a person believes he has over the things that happen to him. A person that regards himself as someone with control over his environment and circumstances is termed a person with a internal locus of control. What happens to him and the reward he gets is dependent on his own behaviour. There are persons, on the other hand, that
believe that what happens to them in their sport careers is the result of external
circumstances: luck, chance or what others do to them. These persons believe that they do not have any control over what happens to them and therefore are called persons with an external locus of control. It is believed that locus of control can influence performance positively or negatively. This study tries to give answers on whether or not elite athletes have an internal locus of control. Sixty athlete's of age 16 and older were selected and divided into three groups. The first group are athletes that compete on international level, while the second group consists of athletes that compete on provincial level. The third group consists of athletes that are in training and represent athletes that perform well on
school-level as well as members of sport clubs. The instrument used to test the athletes was the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale of J.B. Rotter (1966). The results confirms that elite athletes operate within an internal locus of control framework. Although not statistically significant, it seems as if athletes that compete on international level function more in an internal locus of control framework. It appears as if there is a certain interaction between top level performers and an internal locus of control.