Reliability and validity of the health locus of control scale

Area of Science:

• Health Psychology
• Psychometric Evaluation
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scale is a widely used measure.
• Assessing the psychometric properties of the MHLC Scale is crucial for its continued valid application.
• Understanding health beliefs influences health behaviors and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the factor structure, internal consistency, reliability, and predictive validity of the MHLC Scale.
• To evaluate the stability of the internal control (I), powerful others (P), and chance control (C) subscales over time.
• To determine if MHLC subscale scores predict future health status or medical compliance.

Main Methods:

• Factor analysis was performed on the MHLC Scale.
• Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha.
• Test-retest reliability was examined over a 7-month period using parallel forms.
• Predictive validity was tested against subsequent health indicators and compliance data.

Main Results:

• The internal control (I) and powerful others (P) subscales demonstrated moderate homogeneity and reliability over 7 months.
• The powerful others (P) subscale scores increased with age, lower social status, and acute illness.
• The chance control (C) subscale exhibited poor temporal stability.
• No significant predictive relationships were found between MHLC subscale scores and later health or medical compliance.

Conclusions:

• The internal and powerful others subscales of the MHLC Scale appear to be reasonably stable and reliable measures.
• The chance control subscale's instability raises concerns about its utility in longitudinal studies.
• The MHLC Scale's subscales did not demonstrate predictive validity for future health or compliance in this study.
• Further research is needed to refine the MHLC Scale and explore its predictive power in different contexts.