Fatalism Scale

Abstract

The Fatalism scale is a brief psychological instrument initially developed by Cummings (1977) and later expanded with additional items by Flewelling, Paschall, and Ringwalt (1993). This scale is designed to quantify an individual’s sense of fatalism, specifically assessing their perceived confidence in their ability to influence future life outcomes. It measures the degree of perceived control or lack thereof regarding personal success, employment opportunities, and general life events. The instrument consists of five items utilizing a 4-point Likert scale response format and is typically administered to students in grades 10 through 18.

Keywords

Fatalism, Locus of control, Self-efficacy, Adolescent psychology, Psychological measurement, Socialization, Attitude assessment, Perceived control.

Authors

S. Cummings, R. L. Flewelling, M. J. Paschall, C. L. Ringwalt.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Fatalism scale is to measure the degree to which an individual believes that external forces, rather than their own actions or effort, determine their life trajectory. This assessment is crucial in understanding attitudes related to motivation, proactive behavior, and vulnerability to negative outcomes, such as violence or poor educational attainment.

The scale specifically targets the respondents’ belief in their agency, quantifying their conviction regarding their ability to secure favorable outcomes, such as employment or avoiding trouble, even when faced with structural barriers or societal challenges. This insight is highly relevant in educational and public health research settings where attitudes towards future control can predict engagement in risk behaviors.

Construct

The underlying psychological construct measured is fatalism, which is closely related to the concept of external locus of control. Fatalism refers to the belief that events are predetermined and unavoidable, and that human beings are powerless to change the course of their lives. Individuals scoring high on this scale exhibit low confidence in their personal efficacy and control over their future.

The instrument assesses this construct by posing statements about personal responsibility for success, difficulty in obtaining employment despite education, lack of opportunity, the role of chance in getting into trouble, and the ability to decide one’s life path. The items collectively measure the subjective feeling of being powerless against external circumstances.

Validity

Specific details regarding the empirical validity (e.g., construct, concurrent, or predictive validity coefficients) of the Fatalism scale were not provided in the source material. Researchers utilizing this instrument should refer to the original publication by Cummings (1977) or subsequent validation studies citing the expanded version (Flewelling et al., 1993) for comprehensive validation data.

Reliability

Quantitative measures of reliability, such as Cronbach’s Alpha or test-retest reliability coefficients, are not available in the provided source description. It is recommended that researchers consult the primary articles to ascertain the internal consistency and stability of the scale across different populations and demographic groups.

Factor Analysis

Information concerning the results of factor analysis conducted on the 5-item version of the scale is absent from the summary description. Given the scale’s brevity and its focus on a singular concept—confidence in one’s ability to influence the future—it is generally assumed to measure a single, unitary construct of fatalism or perceived lack of control.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire/Attitude scale

Format: 5-item Likert scale format with a 4-point response option.

Language Available: English (implied).

Population Group: Adolescents and Young Adults.

Age Group: Students typically corresponding to grades 10 through 18 (representing high school through early college age).

Population Details: Students in grades 10-18. The original work by Cummings (1977) focused specifically on Black adolescents in the context of family socialization.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their agreement with each statement using the following response options:

• Strongly agree = 4
• Agree = 3
• Disagree = 2
• Strongly disagree = 1

Items 2 and 5 are subjected to reverse coding to ensure consistency in scoring direction. Total scores are calculated by summing the point values and dividing by the number of items (5), yielding an average score ranging from 1 to 4. A higher score indicates a stronger fatalistic orientation (i.e., less perceived control over the future).

Keywords

Fatalism, Perceived control, Adolescent risk behavior, Violence prevention, Psychological assessment, Reverse coding, Locus of control.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not provided in the source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not provided in the source material.

Correspondence Address: Information not provided in the source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The initial three items were published in 1977 (Cummings). The expanded 5-item version was finalized in 1993 (Flewelling et al.). Information regarding specific copyright permissions or associated usage fees is not available in the provided summary.

The instrument is documented on page 106 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publication, Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/YV_Compendium.pdf

Reference’s

• Cummings S. Family socialization and fatalism among black adolescents. Journal of Negro Education 1977;63:62-75.
• Flewelling RL‚ Paschall MJ‚ Ringwalt CL. SAGE Baseline Survey. Research Triangle Park‚ NC: Research Triangle Institute‚ 1993. (Unpublished)

Items of the Fatalism scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. If a person is not a success in life‚ it is his own fault.
2. Even with a good education‚ I’ll have a hard time getting the right kind of job.
3. People like me don’t have much of a chance in life.
4. Whether I get into trouble is just a matter of chance.
5. I can pretty much decide what will happen in my life.

(Items 4 and 5 were added by Flewelling‚ et al.‚ 1993.)