Economic Locus of Control Scale (ELCS)

Becoming rich has little or nothing to do with chance.

Saving and careful investing is a key factor in becoming rich.

Whether or not I become wealthy depends mostly on my ability.

Accountants can rarely do very much for people who are poor.

Anyone can learn a few basic economic principles that can go a long way in preventing poverty.

To a great extent my life is controlled by accidental happenings.

People’s poverty results from their own idleness.

Social workers relieve or cure only a few of the financial problems their clients have.

I feel that my finances are mostly determined by powerful people.

There is little one can do to prevent poverty.

No matter what anyone does, there will always be poverty.

When I make plans I am almost certain to make them work.

Whether or not people get rich is often a matter of chance.

People who never become poor are just plain lucky.

There is no chance of protecting my savings from bad luck happenings.

The seriousness of poverty is overstated.

When it comes to wealth, there is no such thing as 'bad luck'.

When I get what I want, it is usually because I am lucky.

In the long run, people who take care of their finances stay wealthy.

Relief from poverty requires good hard work more than anything else.

Although I might have the ability, I will not become better off without appealing to those in positions of power.

In the Western world there is no such thing as poverty.

Becoming rich has nothing to do with luck.

How many friends I have depends on how generous I am.

Most people are helped a great deal when they go to an accountant.

There are a lot of financial problems that can be very serious indeed.

People like myself have little chance in protecting our personal interests when they are in conflict with those of strong pressure groups.

Regarding money, there isn’t much you can do for yourself when you are poor.

Politicians can do very little to prevent poverty.

It’s not always wise for me to save because many things turn out to be a matter of good fortune or bad fortune.

If I become poor, it is usually my own fault.

Financial security is largely a matter of good fortune.

Getting what I want financially requires pleasing those people above me.

Whether or not I get to be well-off depends on whether I am lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

I can pretty much determine what will happen to me financially.

I am usually able to protect my personal interests.

When I get what I want, it is usually because I worked hard for it.

My life is determined by my own actions.

It is chiefly a matter of fate whether I become rich or poor.

Only those who inherit or win money can possibly become rich.