DEVELOPMENT OF A SCALE TO ASSESS LOCUS-OF-CONTROL IN BACCALAUREATE STUDENTS IN NURSING.
Contributors: University of Toledo.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 161
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: A 50-item scale was developed to assess baccalaureate nursing students' locus of control beliefs related to professional role, self-directed learning, and health. Three hundred fifty subjects in a large, midwestern, baccalaureate nursing program completed the 50-item scale and Levenson's 24-item I-P-C scale as a unit. The 50-item scale was subjected to statistical analyses, resulting in selection of a 36-item scale.

Locus of control is a construct derived from Rotter's Social Learning Theory. It is the extent to which people believe that their own behaviors or external forces affect events or situations in their lives. Locus of control belief relative to role, learning, and health may be one factor that affects development of the student as a professional nurse.

Results from this research provided evidence that reliability estimates for the 36-item, final version of the scale were adequate. Content, construct, and criterion validity were established and eleven factors were identified through factor analysis. These factors accounted for 58% of the variance. The 36-item scale was subjected to a one-way analysis of variance and Scheffe post hoc procedure. The outcome was that scores on the 36-item scale were different by class rank in locus of control beliefs pertaining to role, learning, and health.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-07, Section: A, page: 1667.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO, 1987.

School code: 0232.