Scale Overview
The Multidimensional Multiattributional Causality Scale – MMCS was developed by Herbert M. Lefcourt, Edward E. Von Baeyer, Ware E. Ware, David J. Cox (1979). It is designed to measure Locus of Control (Attributional Style). The scale is intended for use with Adults and college students.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 48 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Academic Ability, Academic Effort, Academic Context, Academic Luck, Social Ability, Social Effort, Social Context, Social Luck.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Academic Ability |
3,11,19,27,35,43 |
6 |
| Academic Effort |
1,9,17,25,33,41 |
6 |
| Academic Context |
6,14,22,30,38,46 |
6 |
| Academic Luck |
8,16,24,32,40,48 |
6 |
| Social Ability |
7,15,23,31,39,47 |
6 |
| Social Effort |
5,13,21,29,37,45 |
6 |
| Social Context |
2,10,18,26,34,42 |
6 |
| Social Luck |
4,12,20,28,36,44 |
6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 24. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Attribution (Low endorsement of this causal factor): 0 – 8
- Moderate Attribution (Moderate endorsement of this causal factor): 9 – 16
- High Attribution (Strong endorsement of this causal factor): 17 – 24
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 .50 to .85 for the various subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.