Measures of Anomie and Locus-of-Control for Adolescents: Evidence of Factorial Validity

Abstract

Because of the lack of clarity of anomie and locus-of-control that has resulted from use of the same terminology in discussion of the two constructs, items from the Crumbaugh Purpose-in-Life Test (anomie) and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus-of-Control Scale for Children were submitted together for factor analyses. The first sample included 349 adolescents; the cross-validation sample contained 404 adolescents from the same population. Similar factor structures were found in both samples when principal axes were rotated to varimax solutions and to oblique solutions. No item from one instrument loaded above .30 on any factor characterized by items from the other instrument. It was concluded that the instruments measure different constructs and are factorially valid when considered together.