Student ’ s Creativity in Relation to Locus of Control : a Study of Mysore University , India

The study explored the relationship of creativity and locus of control of students coming from various academic disciplines (Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, Civil Engineering, Electronics & Communication, Centre for Women Studies, Mathematics, Food and Nutrition and Geography).The data was collected from a sample of 450 students of Mysore University out of which 40 belonged to Electronics and communication, 44 were from Civil Engineering, 40 from Environmental Sciences, 37 from Biotechnology, 40 from Geography, 16 from mathematics, 20 from Food and Nutrition and 7 from Centre for Women Studies. Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults and Levenson’s Locus of Control tests were administered on students and their socio – demographic information was taken. Results showed that highly creative students are significantly higher on Internal Locus of Control and the students who were low on creativity are significantly higher on External Locus of Control. The study also found that students at post graduate level were significantly higher on Powerful Others as compared to students at under graduate level. Students with low creativity at both post graduate and undergraduate levels and from all disciplines are significantly higher on powerful others (external locus of control) as compared to the students with high creativity, while students with high creativity at post postgraduate and undergraduate level and from all disciplines are significantly higher on individual control as compared to students with low creativity at both the levels. The results also show that students from Geography are significantly higher on powerful others as compared to students from other disciplines, while students from centre for women studies are significantly lower on powerful others as compared to students from other academic disciplines except food and nutrition students. Students from Centre for women studies are significantly lower on chance control as compared to students from mathematics, environment sciences, biotechnology, civil engineering, and geography. However the students of geography are significantly higher on chance control as compared to students from mathematics, food and nutrition, electronics and communication, and centre for women studies.