Description

Description

The Nowicki Preschool and Primary Internal-External Control Scale [AQ-34] is an assessment instrument designed to measure internal and external locus of control in preschool and primary school children. It examines how children perceive the influence of their own actions and external environmental factors on goal achievement and everyday experiences.

Aim

The main aim of the scale is to explore how children perceive their ability to control or influence the situations they experience. Understanding these perceptions may support interventions aimed at strengthening self-esteem, personal control, and overall psychological well-being.

Data Analysis

According to the source material, analysis may include scoring of responses, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and comparisons between groups of children. Variables such as age, gender, and socioeconomic conditions may also be examined in relation to locus of control.

Psychometric Evaluation

Adaptation of the scale for different age groups and cultural contexts may involve cross-cultural studies, reliability analysis, and validity testing. Internal consistency may be assessed using indicators such as Cronbach’s alpha.

Applications

The NPAPIECS-34 may be used in developmental and educational psychology, as well as in research examining children’s self-perceptions, adjustment, psychological well-being, and perceived personal control.

It may also help researchers investigate how locus of control relates to educational, social, and demographic characteristics.

Conclusions

The Nowicki Preschool and Primary Internal-External Control Scale [NPAPIECS-34 / AQ-34] provides a structured approach to assessing how young children understand the relationship between their own behavior and external influences.

Its use can contribute to research on child development and may support interventions focused on strengthening perceived control and psychological adjustment.

References

Nowicki, S., & Strickland, B. R. (1973). A locus of control scale for children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 40(1), 148–154.

Nowicki, S. (2002). The Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Control Scale: A review. In Psychology and Educational Practice (pp. 55–67).

Weisz, J. R., & Weiss, B. (1993). Locus of control in children: A review of the literature. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 21(2), 213–229.