The Adult Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale

Abstract

The Adult Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale (ANS-LOC) is a widely utilized psychological instrument designed to assess an individual’s generalized expectancy regarding the causes of events in their life. It is an adaptation of the original Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children (NS-LOC), developed by Stephen Nowicki, Jr., and Bonnie R. Strickland.

This scale measures the degree to which an individual believes that outcomes are contingent upon their own behavior (internal control) versus the influence of external forces such as fate, luck, or powerful others (external control). The ANS-LOC consists of 40 dichotomous (Yes/No) items, making it a straightforward and easily administered measure of the Locus of Control construct in adult populations.

Keywords

Locus of Control, Internal-External Control, Psychological Assessment, Personality, Nowicki-Strickland, ANS-LOC, Adulthood, Generalized Expectancy.

Authors

Stephen Nowicki, Jr., Bonnie R. Strickland.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the ANS-LOC is to provide a non-projective, group-administrable measure of the generalized expectancy for Locus of Control in adult populations. The scale utilizes a simple Yes/No format to minimize response bias and simplify scoring, making it highly efficient for large-scale research.

The instrument is frequently employed in academic and clinical research settings to correlate the degree of internal or external control with various behavioral, academic, and clinical outcomes, such as achievement motivation, coping styles, and susceptibility to stress. It serves to differentiate between individuals who perceive themselves as masters of their own destiny (internals) and those who feel helpless against environmental factors (externals).

Construct

The ANS-LOC measures Julian Rotter’s theoretical concept of Locus of Control (LOC). LOC is a core component of social learning theory and refers to the degree to which individuals generally perceive that rewards or outcomes are controlled by their own actions versus outside forces. The scale operates on a single continuum ranging from extreme internality to extreme externality.

A high score on the ANS-LOC typically indicates an external Locus of Control, meaning the individual attributes events to fate, luck, or powerful others. Conversely, a low score reflects an internal LOC, indicating a belief that personal efforts, skills, and decisions primarily determine life outcomes. The 40 items are designed to tap into this generalized expectancy across diverse situational contexts.

Validity

Although the foundational validity work was conducted using the child and adolescent versions (NS-LOC and NSPRS), the adult adaptation has demonstrated robust psychometric properties in subsequent studies. Convergent validity is supported by significant correlations with other established measures of generalized expectancy, such as Rotter’s I-E Scale, confirming that the ANS-LOC measures the same underlying construct.

Construct validity is further evidenced by consistent findings linking external LOC scores to theoretically relevant outcomes, including lower levels of proactive health behavior, increased anxiety, and passive coping strategies. The scale also generally demonstrates acceptable discriminant validity through low correlations with measures of intelligence or social desirability, suggesting it assesses Internal-External Control independently of confounding variables.

Reliability

The reliability of the ANS-LOC is considered satisfactory for a research instrument. Studies using the original NS-LOC and NSPRS reported acceptable test-retest reliability across various time intervals, indicating stability of the measure over time. Test-retest coefficients for the adolescent version often fall in the range of .60 to .80.

Internal consistency is typically assessed using the Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20) formula due to the dichotomous response format. While the broad nature of the items spanning multiple life domains may slightly reduce the overall internal consistency coefficient compared to domain-specific measures, the scale maintains sufficient homogeneity to be utilized as a reliable measure of generalized expectancy.

Factor Analysis

Early factor analytic studies of the Nowicki-Strickland scales often presented complex findings. Although the scale was developed conceptually as a unidimensional measure of generalized Locus of Control, exploratory factor analysis, particularly in adult samples, has sometimes suggested the presence of minor, correlated factors. These factors often correspond to distinct life domains, such as control over academic achievement, control in interpersonal relationships, or control over fate/luck.

Despite these findings, the prevailing recommendation among researchers is to utilize the ANS-LOC primarily as a single, global measure of internal-external control. The total score remains the most robust and theoretically sound metric derived from the instrument, consistent with Rotter’s original social learning theory framework.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report personality inventory measuring generalized expectancy.

Format: 40 dichotomous items (Yes/No response format).

Language Available: Primarily English, though translations are frequently developed and used in international academic research.

Population Group: Adults (college students and general adult populations).

Age Group: 18 years and older.

Population Details: Adapted from versions originally designed for children and adolescents, the adult form is suitable for individuals with average reading comprehension and cognitive ability.

Test Methodology: The scale is scored by assigning 1 point for each response indicative of external control. The total score ranges from 0 to 40. Higher scores indicate a stronger external Internal-External Control orientation. Administration typically requires 10 to 15 minutes.

Keywords

Psychological Measurement, Personality Inventory, Expectancy Theory, Social Learning Theory, Psychometric properties, Clinical Psychology, Assessment.

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, but historically associated with Emory University).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The foundational research for the Nowicki-Strickland scales began in the early 1970s. The original Child scale was published in 1973, and the Adolescent scale in 1978. The Adult version, presented here, was formalized through correspondence with S. Nowicki and is generally available for non-commercial academic use.

The original PDF detailing the development of the Children’s scale can be downloaded here: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED058933.pdf

Reference’s

The following references document the development and foundational research for the Nowicki-Strickland scales:

• Nowicki, Stephen, Jr.; Strickland, Bonnie R. A Locus of Control Scale for Children. Paper presented at the 79th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C., September 3-7, 1971.
• Nowicki, S., & Strickland, B. R. (1973). A locus of control scale for children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1, 148-154.
• Nowicki, S., Jr., & Strickland, B.R. (1978). The Nowicki–Strickland Personal Reaction Survey for 7th–12^th graders. Atlanta, GA: Emory University, Department of Psychology.

Items of the The Adult Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way. Responses are Yes or No.

1. Do you believe that most problems will solve themselves if you don’t fool with them?
2. Do you believe that you can stop yourself from catching a cold?
3. Are some people just born lucky?
4. Most of the time‚ do you feel that getting good grades means a great deal to you?
5. Are you often blamed for things that just aren’t your fault?
6. Do you believe that if somebody studies hard enough‚ he or she can pass any subject?
7. Do you feel that most of the time it doesn’t pay to try hard because things never turn outright anyway?
8. Do you feel that if things start out well in the morning that it’s going to be a great day‚ no matter what you do?
9. Do you feel that most of the time parents listen to what their children have to say?
10. Do you believe that wishing can make good things happen?
11. When you get criticized‚ does it usually seem it’s for no good reason at all?
12. Most of the time do you find it hard to change a friend’s (mind) opinion?
13. Do you think that cheering‚ more than luck‚ helps a team to win?
14. Do you feel that it is nearly impossible to change your parents’ mind about anything?
15. Do you believe that your parents should allow you to make most of your own decisions?
16. Do you feel that when you do something wrong there’s very little you can do to make it right?
17. Do you believe that most people are just born good at sports?
18. Are most of the other people your age and sex stronger than you are?
19. Do you feel that one of the best ways to handle most problems is just not to think about them?
20. Do you feel that you have a lot of choice in deciding whom your friends are?
21. If you find a four leaf clover‚ do you believe that it might bring good luck?
22. Do you often feel that whether or not you do your homework has much to do with what kinds of grades you get?
23. Do you feel that when a person your age is angry with you‚ there’s little you can do to stop him or her?
24. Have you ever had a good luck ch‎arm?
25. Do you believe that whether or not people like you depends on how you act?
26. Will your parents usually help you if you ask them to?
27. Have you ever felt that when people were angry with you‚ it was usually for no reason at all?
28. Most of the time‚ do you feel that you can change what might happen tomorrow by what you do today?
29. Do you believe that when bad things are going to happen they just are going to happen no matter what you do to try to stop them?
30. Do you think that people can get their own way if they just keep trying?
31. Most of the time‚ do you find it useless to try to get your own way at home?
32. Do you feel that when good things happen‚ they happen because of hard work?
33. Do you feel that when somebody your age wants to be your enemy‚ there’s little you can do to change matters?
34. Do you feel that it’s easy to get friends to do what you want them to do?
35. Do you usually feel that you have little to say about what you get to eat at home?
36. Do you feel that when someone doesn’t like you there’s little you can do about it?
37. Do you usually feel that it is almost useless to try in school because most other students are just plain smarter than you are?
38. Are you the kind of person that believes that planning ahead makes things turn out better?
39. Most of the time‚ do you feel that you have little to say about what your family decides to do?
40. Do you think it’s better to be smart than to be lucky?