THE LOCUS

OF CONTROL SCALE
Stephen Nowicki, Jr.
and B. Strickland (1973)

We are trying to find out what men and women think about certain things.

Answer the following questions the way you feel. There are no right or wrong answers.
Don’t take too much time answering any one question, but do try to answer them all.

Mark your responses to the questions by indicating Y for "yes" and N for "no"
on the space provided for.

Click on the TEST tab to access the questions.

Click on the RESULTS tab to access the results.

This excel workbook was designed by Johann Andrew V Sagmit (March 2003).
This workbook is for research purposes and/or classroom instruction only.
Do not distribute nor change any part of this workbook. This is not for sale.
THE LOCUS OF CONTROL SCALE
Stephen Nowicki, Jr. & B. Strickland (1973)

< NAME
< GENDER
< AGE

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU USE THE CAPITAL Y for yes, AND THE CAPITAL N for no. DO
NOT USE ANY OTHER MARKING. OTHERWISE, YOU MIGHT GET INVALID RESULTS.

1
Do you believe that most
problems will solve themselves
if you ust don't fool with them?
21
If you find a four-leaf clover, do
you believe that it might bring
you good luck?
x
x
Did you often feel that whether
Do you believe that you can
or not you did your homework
2 stop yourself from catching a 22
had much to do with what kind
cold?
of grades you got?

x
Do you feel that when a
Are some people just born person your age is angry at
3 23
lucky? you, there's little you can do to
stop him of her?

4
Most of the time, do you feel
that getting good grades
meant a great deal to you?
24
Have you ever had a good-luck
charm?
x
5
Are you often blamed for
things that just aren't your
fault?
25
Do you believe that whether or
not people like you depends
on how you act?
x

Do you believe that if
somebody studies hard
6 26
enough, he or she can pass
any subject?
Do you feel that most of the
time it doesn’t pay to try hard
7 27
because things never turn out
right anyway?
Do you feel that if things start
out well in the morning, it's
8 28
going to be a good day no
matter what you do?
Do you feel that most of the
9 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 punished, 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
opinion?
x
Did your parents usually help
you if you asked them to?
x
Have you felt that when people
were angry with you, it was
usually for no reason at all?
x
Most of the time, do you feel
that you can change what
might happen tomorrow by
what you do today?
x
Do you believe that when bad
things are going to happen,
29 they are just going to happen
no matter what you try to do to
stop them?
30
Do you think that people can
get their own way if they just
keep trying?
x
31
Most of the time, do you find it
useless to try to get your own
way at home?
x
32
Do you feel that when good
things happen, they happen
because of hard work?
x

Do you thing that cheering
13 more than luck helps a team to
win?
Did you feel that was nearly
impossible to change your
14
parents' minds about
anything?
15
Do you believe that parents
should allow children to make
most of their own decisions?
Do you feel that when you do
something wrong, there's very
16
little you can do to make it
right?
Do you believe that most
17 people are just born good at
sports?
18
Are most of the other people
your age stronger than you
are?
Do you feel that one of the
best ways to handle most
19
problems is just not to think
about them?
x
Do you feel that when
somebody you own age wants
33
to be your enemy, there's little
you can do to change matters?
x
Do you feel that it's easy to get
34 friends to do what you want
them to do?
35
Do you feel that you have little
to say about what you get to
eat at home?
x
x
Do you feel that when
someone doesn’t like you,
36
there's little you can do about
it?
x
Didi you usually feel that it was
almost useless to try in school
37 because other children were
just plain smarter than you
were?
38
Are you the kind of person who
believes that planning ahead
makes things turn out better?
x
x
Most of the time, do you feel
that you have little to say about
39
what your family decides to
do?
 20
Do you feel that you have a lot
of choice in deciding who your
friends are?
40
Do you think it's better to be
smart than to be lucky?
x
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
TOTAL YES 0 TOTAL NO 0

SUM 0
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
THE LOCUS OF CONTROL SCALE
Stephen Nowicki, Jr. & B. Strickland

0
0
0
10/17/2008 22:52

YOU SCORED:

0
0 to 8 INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL

You probably see life as a game of skill rather than chance. You most likely believe that you have a lot of control
over what happens to you, both good and bad. With that view you tend to take the initiative in everything from job-
related activities to relationships and sex. Others probably describe you as vigilant in getting things done, aware on
what is going on around you, and willing to spend energy in working for specific goals. You probably find it quite
frustrating to sit back and let others take care of you. Unrealistic and inappropriate internal locus of control could
result to extreme self-blame due to the strong belief that one is solely responsible for his failures; or ego-centrism
due to the belief that one is solely responsible for his success.

9 to 16 AVERAGE

Your locus of control may be situation-specific. You may look at one situation, work, for example, and believe that
your rewards are externally determined, that no no matter what you do, you can't get ahead. In another situation,
love perhaps, you may see your fate as resting entirely in your own hands.

17 to 40 EXTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL

As a high scorer, you are saying that you see life generally more as a game of chance than as one where your skills
make a difference. You may have strong beliefs in luck and superstition and a concurrent feeling of helplessness in
controlling your life. Research have shown that unrealistic external control beliefs are correlated significantly with
problems like anxiety, depression, low self-concept, and poor physical health.