Factors of the Rotter Internal-External Scale

Abstract

Previous investigators have reported that the Rotter I-E scale (1966) may measure many dimensions rather than a unidimensional trait. Following Collins (1974), each of the 23 forced-choice internal and external alternatives of the I-E scale were separated and administered as 46 Likert-scale items. The Likert-format administration was equivalent to the original method. Principal factors analysis and varimax rotation yielded five factors: belief in a nonrational world, belief in a politically unresponsive world, belief in a predictable world, belief in a just world, and belief in the meaningfulness of personal effort. These factors are similar to those reported by Collins.