Abstract: college students rated their perceived controllability(PC) on 60 different events, and their internal-external locus of control(IE) and depression scores were also obtained. The 60 events were put in to three categories according to their real controllability(RC) prerated by 40 graduate students: low RC events, medium events, and high RC events. Results indicated that depressors have lower PCs than non-depressors only on medium RC events; externals have lower PCs than internals on both low and medium RC events; and females have lower PCs across all events. Meanwhile, sex, IE, and depression have significant interactions on PC ratings in medium RC events. These results restricted the “sadder but wiser” phenomena proposed by Abramson and Alloy(1979) and the generalized locus of control expectancies on controllablity, which emphasis the importance of the RC of life events accounted. These results were explained by the Cognitive- Knowledge System Model of locus of control proposed by the auther, and further research designs were also discussed.

Key words: perceived controllability, locus of control, depression, cognitive-knowledge system model