本研究旨在探討社會環境與內外制握（internal-external control）的關係，並比較分析環境變遷、文化背景以及性別差異等因素對內外制握的影響。受試者分兩部分：第一部分為我國國內研究生與在國外的留學生（研究生）各57人（男生各38人，女生各19人）。第二部分為中國與美國大學生，中國大學生481人（男生206人，女生275人），美國大學生159人（男生91人，女生86人）。研究工具係美國Rotter氏所編之Internal-External Control Scale（簡稱I-E量表）。本研究所得結果顯示國外留學生在整個制握態度上較國內研究生為外制。兩組間未發現顯著的性別差異。進一步探討分類制握後，發現留學生在「運氣與命運」一類上顯較外制，而在「學業」制握態度上，國外女留學生遠比國內女研究生及男留學生更為外制。中、美大學生在整個制握態度上的比較，沒有發現其間有顯著的差異，男女性別間亦未得顯著差異。分類制握態度方面，中國大學生則在「尊重」一類上比美國大學生顯得較為內制。

　　　　　The purpose of the study was to investigate the internal versus external control asrelated to social environment and cultural factors. Four groups of students were used assubjects in the study: (1) 57 Chinese graduate students in Taiwan, (2) 57 Chinese graduatestudents studying in the United States, (3) 481 Chinese undergraduate students in Taiwan,and (4)159 American undergraduate students. The Rotter's I-E Scale was used as themain measuring instrument. The results indicated that the Chinese graduate studentsstudying in the United States nad significantly higher external score's than those in theirhome land, but no significant sex differences were found. The differences between Chineseand American undergraduate students also failed to be statistically significant. On theother hand, analysis of the content subscales of I-E Scale revealed: (a) the Chinese overseas graduate group was more external than it home counterpart on the Luck-Fate subscale, (b) on the Academic subscale, female Chinese overseas graduate students weremore external than males in the same group and female graduate students in the homegroujp, and (c) Chinese undergraduate students were more internal than American undergraduate students on the Respect subscale.