Are More Internal Locus of Control and Well-Ness an Effect of Theater Therapy?

Stella Conte

2018-01-01

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Abstract

Locus of control affects individual’s future expectations and subjective well-being, thereby determinig individual’s psychological health. People feeling themselves responsible for what they do have an internal locus of control. People that hold outside events responsible for what they live, have an external locus of control. Generally, internal locus of control is negatively related to depression and general stress. Theater-therapy, that is theater joint with Positive Psychology could be a good method to improve well-being and increase internal locus of control. In fact, Theater-therapy can stimulate to experiment new skills and problem solving. Furthermore a better knowledge of emotions, experienced through physical actions, should be improve self-efficacy, positively affecting locus of control. In the current study, 8 subjects took part in a research to ascertain if participation to Theater-therapy changes locus of control. The experiment included one three-hour weekly meeting for six months. Results showed that locus of control of participants becomes more internal.