Multidimensional Health Locus of Control – Form A (MHLC-A)
Measures an individual's beliefs regarding whether their health is determined by their own behavior, powerful others, or chance.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control – Form A (MHLC-A) was developed by Kenneth A. Wallston, Barbara S. Wallston, Robert DeVellis (1978). It is designed to measure Health Locus of Control. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Internal Health Locus of Control (IHLC), Powerful Others Health Locus of Control (PHLC), Chance Health Locus of Control (CHLC).
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Health Locus of Control (IHLC) | 1,6,8,12,13,17 | 6 |
| Powerful Others Health Locus of Control (PHLC) | 3,5,7,10,14,18 | 6 |
| Chance Health Locus of Control (CHLC) | 2,4,9,11,15,16 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Moderately Disagree, 3 = Slightly Disagree, 4 = Slightly Agree, 5 = Moderately Agree, 6 = Strongly Agree.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 6 to 36. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low belief in this dimension: 6 – 15
- Moderate belief in this dimension: 16 – 26
- High belief in this dimension: 27 – 36
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from 0.67 to 0.77 for the subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.