Locus of control
Subject in Social Sciences
Locus of control has come up in 4 episodes across 3 podcasts in TMT, including The Mel Robbins Podcast, Passion Struck with John R. Miles, The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett. 2 people have made recorded remarks about it.
What people said
Peter GrayAmerican evolutionary psychologist and author of Free to Learn and Restoring Childhood
Gray reports that standardized questionnaires show young people's external locus of control has greatly increased since the 1960s.
“research on those scores over years has shown that external locus of control has greatly increased”
Passion Struck with John R. Miles: Your Kids Don’t Need More Achievement. They Need More Freedom | Dr. Peter Gray - EP 826 (Sep 29, 2026) · Listen from 27:42
Gray argues that agency is innate rather than learned but is suppressed by schooling and parenting.
“So agency doesn't have to be learned. Agency is innate, but we can suppress it. And we do suppress it”
Passion Struck with John R. Miles: Your Kids Don’t Need More Achievement. They Need More Freedom | Dr. Peter Gray - EP 826 (Sep 29, 2026) · Listen from 26:53
Shadé ZahraiBehavioral researcher, confidence expert and author of Big Trust, with a PhD in organizational behavior from Monash University
Zahrai advises swapping 'should' for 'could' because 'should' triggers reactance and cuts off divergent thinking.
“research also shows that the language of should cuts off divergent thinking. We don't think as clearly. We don't think of solutions”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Eliminate Self-Doubt Forever & Build Unshakeable Confidence (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 51:09
Zahrai claims chronic complaining strengthens neural pathways that make complaining a default.
“they are reliving the situation in vivid detail in their brain. which is creating deeper, more efficient neural pathways, which makes complaining your default”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Eliminate Self-Doubt Forever & Build Unshakeable Confidence (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 45:24
Coverage over time
Podcasts
- The Mel Robbins Podcast · 2 episodes
- Passion Struck with John R. Miles · 1 episode
- The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · 1 episode
Episodes
Your Kids Don’t Need More Achievement. They Need More Freedom | Dr. Peter Gray - EP 826Passion Struck with John R. Miles · Sep 29, 2026 · 1 h 17 min
Evolutionary psychologist Peter Gray tells John R. Miles why children need free play and independence, blaming school pressure rather than smartphones for the youth mental health crisis.
Let Them: How to Handle Difficult People & Take Back Your Peace and PowerThe Mel Robbins Podcast · Sep 21, 2026 · 47 min
Mel Robbins teaches a 'me, we, them' framework for applying The Let Them Theory to difficult relationships, using listener questions about parents, children, friends, and partners.
Vanessa Van Edwards: The Conversation Habit That Makes Smart People UnlikableThe Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · Sep 10, 2026 · 2 h 27 min
Behavioral researcher Vanessa Van Edwards tells Steven Bartlett about her three-level conversation framework, over-talking, self-narratives, five story archetypes and the cues behind charisma.
- How to Eliminate Self-Doubt Forever & Build Unshakeable Confidence
The Mel Robbins Podcast · May 11, 2026 · 1 h 19 min
Mel Robbins talks with behavioral researcher Dr. Shadé Zahrai about her four-part framework—acceptance, agency, autonomy, adaptability—for overcoming self-doubt and building confidence.