Role Played by Locus of Control Variables in Sexual Promiscuity among Female Students in Technical Training Colleges in Nairobi County, Kenya

The intention of this paper was to explore locus of control variables related to sexual promiscuity among female students in technical colleges in Nairobi County, Kenya. To establish this, the study sought to find out if female students with external locus of control and who were low in self control, deferment of gratification and personal values were more promiscuous than their counterparts who were high in self control, deferment of gratification and personal values. Further to this, the study further sought to establish if female students with internal locus of control and high in self control, delay of gratification and personal values were less promiscuous than their counterparts with low self control, deferment of gratification and personal values. The study was conducted in three technical colleges in Nairobi, Kenya with a sample of 108 respondents aged 19 years to 25years. Instruments used to collect data were; Rotter (1966) Internal Vs External Control (I-E) Scale, a 6-item self-control scale to assess perceptions of self-control and a modified 6-item questionnaire to assess perceptions of willingness to delay gratification borrowed from Ray and Najmans scale (1986). In addition, a personal values questionnaire, self report on sexual risk survey borrowed from Turchik (2009) and a demographic questionnaire were used. Study findings revealed that significant numbers of female students reported non-promiscuous sexual behaviors across the study variables investigated. However, the findings clearly revealed that female students with external locus of control accompanied by low deferment of gratification, low self control and also low personal values reported higher incidences of involvement in sexual promiscuity than those with external locus of control accompanied by high delay of gratification, high self control and high personal values. The study findings further revealed that students with internal locus of control accompanied by low deferment of gratification, low self control and low personal values reported higher percentages of sexual promiscuity than those with internal locus of control but with high deferment of gratification, high self control and high personal value. On the overall female students with external locus of control reported higher incidences of sexual promiscuity than their counterparts with internal locus of control. The study recommended that families and schools should provide young women with protective factors long before they enter college. The study further recommended that all colleges equip students with self knowledge skills that they can rely on to guide decision making and behavior as well as supportive services that they can fall back to instead of engaging in promiscuity. For the students already engaging in sexual promiscuity intervention measures should be put in place.