Description

The Furnham Parental Locus of Control Scale (FPLCS-60) is a psychological assessment instrument designed to evaluate parents’ beliefs regarding the degree of control and responsibility they perceive themselves to have over their children’s upbringing and development. The scale is grounded in Locus of Control Theory and examines whether parents attribute parenting outcomes primarily to their own actions and decisions or to external influences such as luck, circumstances, or other uncontrollable factors.

The FPLCS-60 is widely applicable in developmental and family psychology, parent counseling, and parenting research, contributing to a deeper understanding of the cognitive factors that influence parenting attitudes and behaviors.

Purpose

The primary objective of the FPLCS-60 is to assess parents’ beliefs concerning the extent of control and responsibility they perceive in raising their children. Specifically, the scale investigates how these beliefs influence parenting strategies, parent–child interactions, and everyday parenting practices.

Furthermore, the findings can support the design of intervention programs and parent education initiatives by identifying areas where parenting skills may need strengthening or where dysfunctional beliefs regarding parental responsibility may require modification.

Structure and Characteristics

The FPLCS-60 assesses two fundamental dimensions of parental locus of control:

  • Internal Locus of Control, reflecting the belief that parents themselves are primarily responsible for their children’s upbringing, development, and behavioral outcomes.
  • External Locus of Control, reflecting the belief that parenting outcomes are largely determined by external influences, including luck, environmental circumstances, or other uncontrollable factors.

Comparing scores across these two dimensions provides valuable insight into how parents perceive their role in their children’s development and education.

The available documentation does not provide information regarding the distribution of items across dimensions or the specific response format used by the instrument.

Data Analysis and Applications

Analysis of the FPLCS-60 involves evaluating parents’ responses across the two principal dimensions of locus of control and comparing results between individuals or groups. Interpretation of the findings enhances understanding of how parental control beliefs influence parenting behaviors and parent–child relationships.

The instrument is suitable for both scientific research and clinical or counseling practice, particularly in studies examining parenting attitudes, parenting styles, and their association with children’s psychosocial development.

Statistical analyses may include descriptive statistics, reliability analysis using Cronbach’s alpha, correlation analyses, exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis, and group comparison tests, depending on the research design.

Validity and Reliability

According to the available documentation, validation of the FPLCS-60 involves administering the scale to different parent populations to evaluate its validity and reliability, as well as comparing its performance with other locus of control instruments.

The validation process also examines the clarity and appropriateness of the questionnaire items to ensure accurate measurement of the intended constructs.

However, the available documentation does not report specific psychometric indicators, such as Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, validity coefficients, or the results of factor analyses.

Scoring and Statistical Evaluation

Scoring of the FPLCS-60 is based on parents’ responses across the two principal dimensions of the scale: Internal Locus of Control and External Locus of Control.

The resulting scores indicate the extent to which parents believe that child-rearing outcomes are determined by their own actions versus external influences.

The available documentation does not specify the response scale format, scoring procedures, total score calculation, or interpretation thresholds (cut-off scores).

References

Buchanan, T., & Whelan, M. (2002). Parental Locus of Control and Its Relationship with Child Outcomes: A Review of the Literature. Child Development Research, 24(4), 289–310.

Furnham, A. (2006). The Role of Parental Locus of Control in Parenting Styles and Child Development. European Journal of Psychology, 20(2), 203–220.