Experienced Personal Control and Quality of Life in Late-Stage Cancer Patients

This study examined the association of experienced personal control and quality of life for late-stage cancer patients within the context of Rotter's Social Learning Theory and Seligman's Theory of Learned Helplessness. It was hypothesized that in late-stage cancer patients greater control would be associated with a higher quality of life as measured by self-esteem, anxiety, and perceived self-esteem, anxiety, and perceived meaningfulness. The longer the history of the disease, the lower would be the individual's level of experienced personal control and quality of life. Fifty-seven late-stage cancer patients completed four standardized instruments: the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale; the Health Locus of Control Scale (HLC); the Lewis, Firsich, and Parsell Attorney Scale; and the Crumbaugh Purpose-in-Life Test. As predicted, the measure of experienced personal control over life significantly correlated with scores on the self-esteem scale (tau = -.33; p = .001), and the anxiety scale (tau = -.30; p = .001). Contrary to prediction, scores on the Health Locus of Control Scale were only significantly associated with scores on the Purpose-In-Life Test (tau = -.18; p = .05). Length of history of disease was significantly related to scores on the HLC Scale (tau = .27; p = .007) and to scores on the anxiety scale (tau = .20; p = .03) but was not significantly associated with scores on the self-esteem scale or the Purpose-In-Life Test.