Investigação da associação entre locus de controle, autoestima e avaliação atitudinal do cadete da AMAN

Abstract

In the present study, the objective was to study the phenomena of locus of control and self-esteem in cadets, as well as the association of such variables with the results of their attitudinal evaluations (soft skills). The study participants were 1822 cadets from the four-year AMAN training. Participation was voluntary and with the completion of a Free and Informed Consent Form. Participants answered the research instruments collectively: Levenson's Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale (Levenson, 1981) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (EAR) (Rosenberg, 1965). The study was developed in four stages. In the first one, the objective was to raise evidences of validity of these scales for the military context of AMAN. After the Confirmatory Factor Analysis procedures, the EAR was validated with 9 items (N = 933, X2 = 107.929, X2 / gl = 4.123, RMR = 0.023, GFI = 0.976, AGFI = 0.959, CFI = 0.973 and RMSEA = 0.056) and the Multidimensional Levenson Locus of Control Scale with 20 items (N = 933, X2 = 657,726, X2 / gl = 3,962, RMR = 0.037, GFI = 0.932, AGFI = 0.914, CFI = 0.893 and RMSEA = 0.055). In the second stage, based on the technique of the focus groups, the qualitative survey of the perception of the self-esteem phenomena and locus of control by the cadets was carried out. Results of this stage corroborated with the theory, as well as presented the cadets' current perception about these variables. The third step was the correlation between the self-esteem and the locus of control with the attitudinal performance of the cadet. Now, the results indicated that there is an association between the phenomena studied, corroborating again with the theory. Finally, with the use of Structural Equation Modeling, a general model of the study was elaborated, which relates the locus of control and self-esteem data, testing the influence of the first on the second (N = 933, X2 = 1502,056, X2 / gl = 4.115, RMR = 0.036, GFI = 0.920, AGFI = 0.904, CFI = 0.895 and RMSEA = 0.049). The results corroborate partially with the hypothesis of study, once the influence was observed. All data and results raised in the present study should be interpreted with caution. It is suggested to carry out complementary studies, with other instruments and variables, in order to better understand the validity indicators presented 11 herein, as well as the role of each of the study variables for AMAN's military higher education process.