Dimensions of the I-E Scale and their Relationship to Other Personality Measures

Abstract

The 46 alternatives in the original 23-item forced-choice format of the I-E scale were administered in a Likert agree-disagree format. The intercorrelations of the 46 alternatives were subjected to a principal components analysis. A varimax rotation of four factors yielded four subscales comparable to those reported by Collins (1974): Belief in a difficult world, a just world, a politically responsive world, and a predictable world. Subjects' responses were factor scored and correlated with five measures: Skill-chance task preference, an achievement test, a political efficacy test, the Mach V scale, and a Just World scale. The pattern of correlations suggested that the difficult world factor, and to a lesser extent the predictable world factor, are relatively general in that they related to most of the five scales. The political world factor related only to (a) political efficacy and (b) Mach V (among males only), and appeared to be more specific in nature. The correlation with the Mach-V suggested that external responses to I-E political items indicated suspiciousness and anomie as well as belief in external control. The just world factor related only to the Just World Scale among males, and appeared to be somewhat inconsistent with the concept of belief in internal/external control. The correlations of the four factors with the five scales added some new meaning to the factors and suggested some ways of improving the I-E scale.