Abstract

Based on a reconceptualisation of Rotter's (1966) construct of locus of control Palenzuela (1988) derived an operational domain-specific measure for use with undergraduate populations. This study attempted to explore the transferability of the Multidimensional Academic Locus of Control Scale (MALOCS) to a British higher education context. Based on findings from 192 first year social science/humanities students, only partial support was obtained for Palenzuela's proposed structure of the locus of control domain. Evidence obtained from correlational, regression and discriminant function analyses indicated that reliability and validity of the extracted locus of control factors were relatively weak. The results indicated that further research and possibly more development would be necessary if the MALOCS is to be employed with British undergraduate students as a means of contributing to the identification of students deemed to be at risk of underachieving and likely to benefit from remedial support.