Development and evidence based on test content for the Locus of Control Scale (ELOCUS)

Abstract

Locus  of  control  is  understood  as  the  perception  of  how  an  individual establishes  control  over  their  actions  in  search  of  a  satisfactory  outcome,  and  it  is divided  into  internal  and  external.  However,  the  construct  has  a  vast  tradition  in psychological research and presents several scales, of which gaps can be pointed out, such as instability in the number of factors in the construct. In this sense, we developed the  Locus  of Control  Scale  (ELOCUS),  which  assesses  generalized  expectations  of control in adults. The objective was to present validity evidence based on the content of the constructed items. For the item’s elaboration, we carried out a theoretical review on the subject, which originated the ELOCUS with 82 items, divided into two factors and nine facets, four of which represent the internal locus of control and five of the external.  The  items  were  first  evaluated  by  judges  with  experience  in  instrument construction (80.5% absolute agreement for clarity and 61.0% for coherence and Gwet AC1of 0.881 for clarity and 0.736 for coherence) and,  subsequently, in a pilot  study with a sample of representatives of the target audience for semantic adjustments. After analysis,  the finalized  instrument  had  69  items  and  indicated  satisfactory  evidence regarding the content of the items.