Fetal Health Locus of Control Scale – FHLC
Measures the extent to which pregnant women believe the health of their unborn child is determined by their own behavior, chance/fate, or powerful others.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Fetal Health Locus of Control Scale – FHLC was developed by S. M. Labs & S. K. Wurtele (1986). It is designed to measure Fetal Health Locus of Control. The scale is intended for use with Pregnant women.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Internality, Chance, Powerful Others.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Internality | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | 6 |
| Chance | 7,8,9,10,11,12 | 6 |
| Powerful Others | 13,14,15,16,17,18 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Strongly Disagree, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = 7, 8 = 8, 9 = Strongly Agree.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 54. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Subscale Agreement: 0 – 18
- Moderate Subscale Agreement: 19 – 36
- High Subscale Agreement: 37 – 54
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Internality alpha = 0.88, Chance alpha = 0.83, Powerful Others alpha = 0.76.
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.