Parenting locus of control: Measurement, construct validation, and a proposed conceptual model

Abstract

A 14-item scale was developed to assess parenting locus of control (PLOC)—beliefs about parents' ability to control children's behavior and development. A pilot study and primary investigation of mothers showed, as predicted, that an internal PLOC was associated with higher maternal esteem and parental satisfaction and reports of fewer symptoms after family structure, background variables, and social support were controlled. An exploratory causal analysis of the cross-sectional data suggested that PLOC mediated the effects of educational level and social support on esteem and satisfaction. Parental satisfaction, in turn, affected the reports of symptoms. PLOC, however, was not related to marital satisfaction.

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