Factual Autonomy Scale – FAS
Measures the objective, factual autonomy of an employee by assessing the frequency of needing permission and receiving work direction.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Factual Autonomy Scale – FAS was developed by Paul E. Spector & Steve Fox (2003). It is designed to measure Factual Autonomy. The scale is intended for use with Working adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Permission to Act, Work Direction.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Permission to Act | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 | 7 |
| Work Direction | 8,9,10 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely / Once or twice, 3 = Sometimes / Once or twice per month, 4 = Quite often / Once or twice per week, 5 = Extremely often or always / Every day.
The scale includes 10 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 10 to 50. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Autonomy: 10 – 22
- Moderate Autonomy: 23 – 37
- High Autonomy: 38 – 50
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.80 – 0.88.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.