LOCUS OF CONTROL: AN EVALUATION ESCALE

• Autor(a) principal: La Rosa, Jorge
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Psicologia (Universidade de Brasília. Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.unb.br/index.php/revistaptp/article/view/17120

The research was aimed to construct a locus of controlscale. Three studies were conducted with students of elementary school, high school, and college. The subjects were of both sexes and of high,middle, and low socioeconomic status.Study 1. A total of 227 students answered a questionnaire about theirreinforcements and the reinforcements' sources of control. Thereinforcements were gathered in five áreas: academic, occupational,emotional, recreational and basic needs' satisfaction. The sources ofcontrol were: personal, significant personal relations, organizations, state,government, politicians, economic power, society, luck, God. Study 2. Theresults of Study 1 provided the basis for Study 2. Four scales wereadministered to 521 students: instrumental internality, sociopoliticalienation or control by macro social system, luck, and control by microsocial system. The jnstrument included 61 items in a Likert type scale. Thedata were submitted to factor analysis (varimax rotation). The results offactor analysis supported empirically the existence of the expectedfactors.Study 3. The scales were administered to 1008 students. Some itemswere replaced. The results of factor analysis gave empirical support forthe expected dimensions. The first four factors explained 45,2 percent ofvariance and the Cronbach's Alphas were: instrumental internality: 0,86;sociopolitical alienation; 0,88; luck: 0,83; control by micro social system:0,78. The results are compared with previous research conducted by theauthor in México City. The results are also compared with U.S. scales. Asa conclusion of the study the author proposes the elaboration of anindividuaI's profile and not an internal-external tipology. Key-words: locusof control, scales, psychometry.