Self-concept, locus of control, goal blockage, and coronary-prone behavior pattern in children and adolescents: Bogalusa heart study.

Four measures that are hypothesized to be correlates of cardiovascular risk factor variables were tested in children and adolescents. A psychosocial questionnaire, including Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern and three additional measures (self-concept, locus of control, and goal blockage), was administered to 384 ten- to 17-year-old students in a biracial public school. White scored higher than did blacks on Type A behavior, and Type A behavior increased with age. Contrary to other reports, a negative relationship was found (excluding white boys and black girls) between self concept and Type A behavior. Blacks had a higher level of self-concept than did whites. Boys were found to have a more external locus of control than did girls, and blacks were more externally oriented and experienced greater goal blockage than did whites. Sufficient test-retest reliability was found to justify use of the four measures in future research.