Skill and Luck Questionnaire

Abstract

The Skill and Luck Questionnaire (SLQ) is a psychometric instrument designed to assess an individual’s perception regarding the relative contribution of skill versus luck in determining success across a variety of life domains and specific activities. Developed by Herman, Gupta, and Derevensky in 1997, the scale is frequently utilized in research concerning problem gambling prevention, where misattributions of control (believing skill influences random events) are considered a key cognitive distortion. The SLQ helps researchers gauge attributional biases related to perceived control over outcomes in both chance-based and competency-based tasks.

Keywords

Skill, Luck, Perceived Control, Attribution Theory, Problem Gambling, Cognitive Distortion, Gambling Research, Psychometric Scale.

Authors

Herman, Gupta, Derevensky (1997).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SLQ is to quantify the degree to which respondents attribute successful outcomes in different activities—ranging from highly random events (like the lottery) to highly controlled activities (like school or sports)—to either personal skill or external luck. It explicitly asks participants to rate both elements separately for each activity.

This measurement is crucial in psychological research, especially in the field of addiction prevention and education. An individual’s tendency to overestimate the role of skill in chance-based activities is a well-established cognitive risk factor for developing problem gambling behaviors. By assessing these attributions, the instrument helps identify cognitive patterns that may necessitate targeted educational intervention.

Construct

The central psychological construct measured is Attributional Style concerning success and failure, specifically focusing on the perceived locus of causality across the internal (skill-based) and external (luck-based) dimensions. The scale captures the perceived blend of competence and randomness required for success in activities that vary naturally in their objective reliance on these two factors.

The design of the questionnaire, which includes activities objectively dependent on luck (e.g., bingo, lottery) alongside activities requiring genuine competence (e.g., school, baseball), allows for the detection of attributional bias. Specifically, researchers use the discrepancy in ratings to measure the extent of the “illusion of control”—a common cognitive distortion among individuals vulnerable to gambling problems.

Validity

While the original psychometric validation details from Herman, Gupta, and Derevensky (1997) are often found in unpublished manuscripts or conference proceedings, the scale has achieved strong face validity due to its clear distinction between skill-dependent and luck-dependent activities. It has been widely adopted in subsequent research examining cognitive risk factors for gambling.

The scale’s ecological validity is supported by its inclusion in comprehensive curricula aimed at preventing problem gambling, such as the *Life Skills, Mathematical Reasoning and Critical Thinking* program developed by Macdonald and Turner (2008). Its utility lies in its ability to predict misperceptions of control that correlate with higher engagement in risky gambling behaviors.

Reliability

Specific internal consistency measures (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) for the Skill and Luck Questionnaire are typically reported within the context of specific studies utilizing the tool, rather than being part of the brief instrument description. However, its consistent application across multiple major studies concerning adolescent gambling suggests that it maintains acceptable reliability as a brief measure of perceived control and attribution.

Factor Analysis

Due to the instrument’s design—where each of the seven activities is rated on two distinct dimensions (Skill and Luck)—the scale effectively yields two primary factor scores: a general Perception of Skill score and a general Perception of Luck score. Research applications often utilize these scores to identify discrepancies in attribution across objective chance and objective skill activities, rather than relying on a single underlying latent factor.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Cognitive Assessment

Format: Seven items, each rated on two separate 7-point Likert scales (one for Skill, one for Luck).

Language Available: English (Original).

Population Group: Adolescents and Young Adults; General Population. It is widely applied in educational prevention programs.

Age Group: Typically utilized with secondary school students (adolescents) and above.

Population Details: Originally developed and validated in the context of research on youth gambling behavior and prevention programs, particularly in Canadian populations.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the perceived necessity of skill and luck (from 1=None to 7=A lot) for success in seven distinct activities, providing a comparative measure of perceived attribution.

Keywords

Attributional Style, Locus of Control, Gambling Education, Risk Assessment, Psychological Testing, Perception of Randomness.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1997

The scale is generally used in academic research and public health prevention programs and is often reproduced within published curricula. Permission for use should ideally be obtained from the original authors (Herman, Gupta, & Derevensky) or the research center associated with its prominent application (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada).

Reference’s

The Skill and Luck Questionnaire is documented on page 40 of the following curriculum report, which is available online:

• Herman, S., Gupta, R., & Derevensky, J. L. (1997). Skill and Luck Questionnaire. Unpublished manuscript.
• Macdonald, J., Turner, N. E., & Somerset, M. (2008). Life Skills, Mathematical Reasoning and Critical Thinking: Curriculum for the Prevention of Problem Gambling. Final Report to the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The instrument is available via the source documentation found here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18095146
• Macdonald, J. & Turner, N.E. (2002, Oct). The prevention of problem gambling using education, modeling and drama. Paper presented to the 14th National Conference on Problem Gambling. Philadelphia, PA.
• Macdonald, J. & Turner, N.E. (2001, April). The development and testing of an experimental approach to preventing problem gambling. Paper presented at the 2001b, conference of the Canadian Foundation on Compulsive Gambling.
• Macdonald, J. & Turner, N.E. (2000, Oct) The prevention of problem gambling using education, modeling and drama. Paper presented at the conference of the National Council on Problem Gambling, Pennsylvanian, Oct.
• Turner, N.E. & Liu, E. (1999, Aug). The naïve human concept of random events. Paper presented at the 1999 conference of the American Psychological Association, Boston.
• Turner, N., Littman-Sharp, N., Zengeneh, M. & Spence, W. (2002). Winners: Why do some develop gambling problems while others do not? Available at www.gamblingresearch.org

Items of the Skill and Luck Questionnaire

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

For each of the following activities, how much skill do you think is involved in doing well? How much luck is involved in doing well?

1) How much skill and luck are needed to be good at baseball?

2) How much skill and luck are needed to be good at bingo?

3) How much skill and luck are needed to be a good video game player?

4) How much skill and luck are needed to be good at blackjack or poker?

5) How much skill and luck are needed to do well at school?

6) How much skill and luck are needed to be good at playing the lottery?

7) How much skill and luck are needed to be become a success in life?