Locus of Control and Death Anxiety among Police Personnel

The present study intended to identify the relationship between belief in personal control and death anxiety among police personnel. The sample constituted male police personnel (N = 285) with age range of 18 to 58 years. Belief in Personal Control Scale (Batool, 2003) and Death Anxiety Scale (Kausar, 2002) were used to assess the nature of personal control and anxiety related to death, respectively. Results showed that death anxiety exhibited significant negative relationship with internal locus of control and significant positive association with external locus of control. Similarly, internal and external loci of control were negatively associated with each other. Regression analysis indicated external locus of control as a significant predictor of death anxiety. Police personnel scored high on externality revealed more death anxiety as compared to those identified as high on internality. Post hoc analysis revealed significant mean differences for the parameters of job stations, age, and job duration. Findings revealed that respondents posted at check posts, falling in senior age group, and extended job duration exhibited significantly elevated levels of death anxiety and external locus of control with lesser manifestation of internal locus. Hierarchical regression illustrated age, job duration, and job station as significant predictors of death anxiety. Future implications of the study were also discussed.