Undimensional and multidimensional measures of locus of control and their relationship to selected personality variables

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the divergent and convergent validity of Levenson's multidimensional and Rotter's unidimensional approaches to the measure of Locus of Control (LOC) within the context of personality variables. The Levenson's Internal (I) , Powerful Others (P), and Chance (C) LOC scales, the Rotter's Internal-External (I-E) LOC scale, the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire (16PF) were administered to 150 college students enrolled in an introductory course in psychology. The IPC and the I-E scales were found to be significantly correlated (P less than .05) to the same 14 (of 18) CPI personality variables. In terms of predictive efficiency, the IPC was superior to the I-E scale in relation to the following variables: Capacity for Status, Sociability, Responsibility, Socialization, Communality, Achievement via Conformance, and Intellectual Efficiency. The I-E scale, on the other hand, proved to be more efficient than the combination of the IPC scales in the prediction of variables Self-Control, Good Impression, and Achievement via Independence. No significant differences in predictive efficiency were found for Dominance and Psychological Mindedness. An interesting result was that both Levenson's and Rotter's instruments, each made unique contributions only to the prediction of variables Tolerance and Sense of Well-Being. The Levenson and Rotter instruments differed in their relationship to the 16PF in that the former was found related to factor I (selfreliance vs. overprotectedness) and the latter to factor M (Conventionalism). The IPC and the I-E scales were found related to the same six 16PF personality factors.