MAPPING THE INTELLECTUAL LANDSCAPE: A SCIENCE MAPPING REVIEW OF LOCUS OF CONTROL AND FINANCIAL WELL-BEING RESEARCH

Abstract

Research on financial well-being has expanded alongside interest in psychological determinants such as locus of control, yet the intellectual structure linking these domains remains fragmented. This study provides a comprehensive science-mapping review of literature connecting locus of control and financial well-being, employing bibliometric methods to visualize thematic evolution, collaboration networks, and conceptual hotspots. Scopus was searched for “financial” and “well-being” covering May 1989 until 2026. Retrieved records were cleaned in OpenRefine and analyzed with Scopus Analyzer while VOSviewer was used for network visualization, including co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, and cluster detection. The refined dataset comprised 577 publications. Findings indicate a pronounced increase in research output after 2010, predominantly developed countries and growing interdisciplinary collaboration across psychology, economics, and finance. Keyword and cluster analyses reveal core themes: financial literacy, behavioral finance, personality and psychological traits, measures of well-being, and socioeconomic determinants. Emerging topics include financial resilience, digital financial behaviour, and the role of technology in financial decision-making. Locus of control appears as a crucial determinant associated with financial attitudes, planning, risk-taking, and outcomes, mediating relationships between literacy, behaviour, and well-being. Network analysis highlights key authors, institutions, and cross-national collaborations shaping the field. This review summarise the intellectual landscape, identifies gaps from longitudinal and diverse-population studies, and proposes future directions in understanding how psychological factors like locus of control influence financial well-being.