Psychometric characteristics of the Headache-Specific Locus of Control scale

Martin and colleagues have described their development of a Headache-Specific Locus of Control scale (HSLC) which contains 11 items for each of its three subscales: internal, health care professional, and chance orientations. In this replication study, we gathered data from patients who came to a Headache Clinic in a medical center (n = 151) and from a comparison sample (n = 192). Factor analysis and alpha coefficients were similar to those reported by Martin. Only small correlations were found between the subscale scores although some of them were statistically significant. This suggests that the HSLC is a psychometrically competent instrument. Additionally, mean scores of its three subscales differentiated the patient population from those whose headaches were less severe and thus did not seek help.