(PS6-36) Developmental Differences in Improvements in Locus of Control in Trauma-focused Cognitive-behavioral Therapy

Locus of control (LOC) is the perception of the degree of personal control people have in their lives (Rotter, 1966). Attributing causes of life events to oneself (e.g., self-efficacy) is known as an internal LOC, whereas an external LOC is associated with attributions of uncontrollable factors, such as fate or luck. Researchers have found that those who perceive more control are more likely to approach situations with greater empowerment (Munoz et al., 2017). For trauma survivors, an internal LOC is a protective factor against the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms (Karstoft et al., 2015; Casella & Motta, 1990; McKeever et al., 2006).  Unfortunately, traumatized youth tend to have a more external LOC compared to those not exposed to trauma (Roazzi et al., 2016). Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT; Cohen et al., 2017), an empirically-supported treatment for traumatized youth, includes skill-building and trauma-processing phases (Mannarino et al., 2014). In the proposed poster, we aim to examine whether LOC changes over the course of TF-CBT. We hypothesize that LOC will shift from external to internal by the end of treatment. Additionally, developmental literature shows that locus of control and moral judgment, constructs affiliated with causality, change with age-related cognitive development (Bachrach et al., 1977). Therefore, we expect to see changes in LOC that differ by developmental level.

The study examines a diverse sample of youth (N = 118) aged 4 – 17 (M = 11.96; SD = 3.69) who participated in TF-CBT at a community clinic in Queens, NY. This data was drawn from an ongoing study of the effects of TF-CBT and Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) on traumatized families. Participating youth were assessed at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment. LOC was measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, third edition, Self-Report of Personality (BASC-3-SRP; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004) Locus of Control.

To assess change in LOC from pre- to post-treatment assessment and between age groups, we conducted a mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) with time as the within-subjects factor, age category (child, adolescent) as the between-subjects factor, and LOC as the dependent variable. There was a significant main effect of time F(2, 115) = 31.50, p < 0.001. A post-hoc Bonferroni analysis showed a significant difference in LOC from pre- (M = 53.47, SD = 11.37) to mid-treatment (M = 50.36, SD = 9.94); t(118) = 3.09, p = 0.003, and from mid- to post-treatment (M = 46.91, SD = 9.25); t(118) = 3.47, p</em> < 0.001. There was no significant main effect of age F(1, 116) = 1.05, p = 0.307, and no statistically significant interaction between the effects of age and time F(2, 115) = 0.716, p = 0.491. However, the simple effects for the interaction show that while there is a similar overall shift in LOC for both age groups, adolescents showed significant changes at all points of treatment and children only showed significant change after mid- to post- time points.

These results suggest that TF-CBT is effective in shifting LOC from external to internal in youth. When examining differences by age, adolescents report a shift to an internal LOC in earlier phases of treatment relative to children. Clinical implications will be discussed.