Furnham Parental Locus of Control Scale

Abstract

The Furnham Parental Locus of Control Scale (FPLOCS) is a specialized psychological instrument designed to assess parents’ generalized beliefs about the causes of their children’s adjustment and behavior. Drawing heavily on Julian Rotter’s Locus of Control (LOC) theory, the scale measures the degree to which parents attribute outcomes in their children’s lives—such as academic success, emotional development, and behavioral adjustment—to internal factors (their own effort and skill), or to various external factors (chance, luck, fate, or powerful external agents like teachers or societal forces). It provides insight into the cognitive frameworks parents use when interpreting their effectiveness and responsibility in child-rearing.

Keywords

Parental Locus of Control, Child Adjustment, Parenting Styles, Attribution Theory, Internal Control, External Control, Psychological Measurement, Child Development

Authors

Adrian Furnham

[quads id=5]

Purpose

The primary purpose of the FPLOCS is to quantify parental perception of control over child outcomes. By measuring the extent to which parents feel they can influence their children’s development, the scale helps researchers and clinicians understand how these attributions relate to parenting behaviors, stress levels, and involvement in educational and psychological interventions. Parents with a strong internal LOC regarding their children are generally expected to be more proactive and invested in positive parenting strategies.

The scale serves as a valuable tool in developmental psychology research, particularly in studies examining the relationship between parental beliefs and child maladjustment, delinquency, and overall well-being. It helps distinguish between parents who feel empowered and those who feel helpless or fatalistic about their child-rearing role.

Construct

The FPLOCS measures the construct of Parental Locus of Control, an application of Rotter’s generalized expectancy framework. This construct posits that individuals differ in the degree to which they believe they control the outcomes of events affecting them. Applied to parenting, the scale typically differentiates between three main dimensions of control attribution:

• Internal Control: Belief that the child’s adjustment is primarily due to the parent’s efforts, competence, skill, and commitment (e.g., items relating to parental ability, teaching, and hard work).
• External Control (Chance/Fatalism): Belief that outcomes are determined by fate, luck, chance, or unpredictable circumstances (e.g., items referencing “hit or miss affair” or “luck”).
• External Control (Powerful Others): Belief that outside forces, such as schools, teachers, psychologists, powerful people, or even God, have the decisive influence over the child’s development, superseding parental efforts.

Validity

Studies utilizing the FPLOCS typically report evidence supporting its construct validity, demonstrating that the scale measures the intended theoretical constructs of internal and external control regarding child outcomes. Criterion validity is often supported by correlations showing that internally oriented parents report higher levels of proactive parenting behavior, greater engagement in educational decisions, and lower levels of parenting stress compared to externally oriented parents.

Furthermore, external subscales (Chance and Powerful Others) are expected to correlate positively with measures of parental helplessness and avoidance of responsibility, while the Internal subscale correlates negatively with measures of child pathology, suggesting good predictive validity regarding family dynamics and adjustment.

Reliability

The FPLOCS is generally reported to possess acceptable levels of internal consistency, a key measure of reliability. Reliability estimates, often measured using Cronbach’s Alpha, typically fall within the acceptable range (above 0.70) across the various subscales, indicating that the items measuring a specific dimension (e.g., Internal Control) are highly correlated with each other. Test-retest reliability is also examined in various studies to ensure the stability of the parental attribution patterns over time.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis of the 60 items often confirms the multidimensional structure of the FPLOCS, supporting the theoretical distinction between Internal, External-Chance, and External-Powerful Others dimensions. Research tends to identify several distinct factors, aligning with the three core LOC components. These findings confirm that parental attributions concerning child adjustment are not monolithic but rather comprise distinct beliefs about personal efficacy versus external influences, whether random or controlled by others.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire (Psychometric Scale)

Format: Typically a 60-item scale requiring responses on a Likert-type format (e.g., 5-point or 7-point scale ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree”).

Language Available: Primarily English, though translations may exist in published literature depending on subsequent research applications.

Population Group: Parents or primary caregivers.

Age Group: Adults (Parents) of children across various developmental stages (e.g., early childhood through adolescence).

Population Details: Used across diverse demographic groups, often sampled from general populations or clinical settings to compare attribution patterns.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with statements regarding who or what controls the outcomes of their children’s lives.

Keywords

Parental efficacy, Rotter’s Scale, Internal consistency, Multidimensional LOC, Child psychological adjustment, Parental responsibility, Parenting stress

[quads id=5]

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not explicitly stated; requires external academic database search.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not explicitly stated; requires reference to primary publication.

Correspondence Address: Not explicitly stated; requires reference to primary publication.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: The scale was developed and published in academic literature, likely in the late 1980s or 1990s, by Adrian Furnham and colleagues.

Permissions & Fee: The scale is typically available for non-commercial academic research use, subject to standard citation requirements. Users should consult the original publication or Professor Furnham’s academic profile for specific licensing details.

Reference’s

The primary reference for the scale’s development and validation should be sought in the published works of Adrian Furnham concerning Locus of Control and parenting. A resource providing access to the items is available here. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://teachinternalcontrol.com/uploads/LOC_Measures__1_.pdf

[quads id=5]

Items of the Furnham Parental Locus of Control Scale

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