Perceived Control at School Scale – PCSS
Measures students' perceived control, autonomy, and decision-making influence within the school environment.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Perceived Control at School Scale – PCSS was developed by Adelman, H. S., Taylor, L., Kaser-Boyd, N., & Nichols, B. K. (1986). It is designed to measure Perceived Control at School. The scale is intended for use with Students (Special education and regular education).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Personal power/decision making, Self-determination, Others interference with autonomy, Powerlessness, Impersonal interference with autonomy.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Personal power/decision making | 1,3,12,14,15 | 5 |
| Self-determination | 7,8,10,11 | 4 |
| Others interference with autonomy | 2,5,13,16 | 4 |
| Powerlessness | 4,6 | 2 |
| Impersonal interference with autonomy | 9,10 | 2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Not very often, 3 = Slightly less than half the time, 4 = Slightly more than half the time, 5 = Very often, 6 = Always.
The scale includes 8 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 16 to 96. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Perceived Control: 16 – 42
- Moderate Perceived Control: 43 – 69
- High Perceived Control: 70 – 96
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Alpha coefficients ranged from 0.65 to 0.80 across samples.
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.