Scale Overview
The Religious Locus of Control Scale – RLCS was developed by Gabbard, C. E., Howard, G. S., & Tageson, C. W. (1986). It is designed to measure Religious Locus of Control. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 29 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Locus of Control, Filler.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Locus of Control |
2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,15,16,17,18,20,21,22,23,25,26,28,29 |
23 |
| Filler |
1,8,14,19,24,27 |
6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: A = Statement A, B = Statement B.
The scale includes 11 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 23. Interpretation guidelines:
- Strong Internal Locus of Control: 0 – 7
- Intermediate Locus of Control: 8 – 15
- Strong External Locus of Control (incorporating spiritual/supernatural control): 16 – 23
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not reported (high correlation with Rotter's original scale, r = .84 – .91).
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.