Adolescent determination of behavior can be viewed as the result of perceived locus of control. To investigate adolescent perceptions of control in terms of age, loci of control (internal or external), situations (community and home), and direction of control (from or over the environment), 909 adolescents (345 males, 564 females), aged 11-19, were administered the Tiffany Experienced Control Scales (ECS), which rate perceptions of control on a 10-point scale. An analysis of the results showed that adolescents have a nonlinear perception of control in which they perceive control differently from situation to situation and across ages. In addition, adolescent perceptions of loss of control over and from both internal and external forces is unidirectional, i.e., when one goes up or down, so does the other. Males had higher control scores than females at the internal locus, and across all ages males were more volatile than females. Both males and females perceived themselves as having less internal and external control in the community and more control in the home. Females experienced highest control at ages 13 (community) and 19 (home). Males experienced highest control at age 13 (community and home). (BL)