Károlyi Róbert — Kiss Hubert János — Szabó-Morvai Ágnes

Locus of Control in Hungary: The results of a representative survey

In our study, we focus on the concept of the locus of control, a non-cognitive ability that is increasingly studied in economics. We then review the economics literature on locus of control and show that people who believe they are in control of their lives are more successful in many areas of life. After that, we examine data from a representative Hungarian survey, and we find associations similar to the previous literature. The locus of control becomes more internal in the respondents' 20s and 30s, and then becomes more external again after the age of 40. In our sample, mens locus of control is more internal compared to women, and a more internal locus of control is associated with higher education and higher income. At the same time, we do not find a significant association between the locus of control and the labour market status. We find that those who have an internal locus of control accumulate significantly more savings and less debt.

LXX. évf., 2023. July (847 - 871. O.), DOI:10.18414/KSZ.2023.7-8.847, Study

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