Is internal-external control an age-related variable?

Following the suggestion proposed by Duke, Shaheen, and Nowicki, this study was designed to test the basic hypothesis that the meaning of internal-external control (I-E) may differ with age. Such variables as age, educational level, socioeconomic status, self-confidence, etc., which have consistently been found to relate to I-E for children through college age Ss, were examined to see if these bear a relationship to I-E for a group of parents (95 fathers and 107 mothers) of college students (father mean age 48, mother mean age 46). Results indicated that with the exception of father education, there was no significant relationship between I-E and all other variables. Thus, these findings support the notion that I-E is an age-related variable, that generalizations from previous studies to older people should be re-evaluated, and that future research should study the meaning and dynamics of I-E for older people.