Preliminary evidence of two opposite faces of internal locus of control in drivers

Abstract: A few instruments are available to assess locus of control (LOC) in drivers. However, there is inconsistent evidence about the predictive validity of internal LOC for driving behaviors, since it is positively associated with both risky and cautious driving. In this study we developed a new questionnaire, the Driving Locus of Control (DLOC), which comprises 21 items that map overconfident internal LOC, safety-oriented internal LOC and external LOC.
Methods: The DLOC was administered to 124 participants together with a socio-demographical and driving history schedule and the Montag and Comrey’s Driving Internality and Driving Externality (DIDE) scales.
Results: Six items were excluded from the final version of the DLOC due to either redundancy or poor contribution to a simple structure in exploratory factor analyses. The expected 3-factor solution emerged as the best measurement model for the DLOC items, with negligibly correlated factors. Scale scores also showed meaningful correlations with DIDE scores and driving history variables, suggesting an adequate construct and criterion validity.