The Identifiability and Consistency of the Factor Structure of Locus of Control

Abstract

Summary The variable of locus of control as assessed by Rotter's Internal-External Scale was examined for a theoretically identifiable and consistent factor structure. Four female college samples, three current ones comprising 360 subjects and a previously reported sample of 157 subjects, were selected to vary two population characteristics: race and professional curriculum. In the light of recent literature suggesting a multidimensionality to expectancy for control, responses to the Internal-External Scale were factor analyzed, and the derived factors of each sample were statistically compared for level of agreement. Not only did the analyses fail to support the existence of several identifiable factors, but the obtained factors, weak in accounted for variance, failed to evidence consistency between groups. Given the consideration of locus of control in recent years as an important social-psychological expectancy variable, the failure in the present study to establish identifiable and consistent factors ...