Factor Structure on the Adult Nowicki-Strickland I-E Scale in a College Population

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to identify the factor structure of the Adult Nowicki-Strickland I-E Scale (ANS-IE) and to compare the results with those in a 1976 publication by Dixon, McKee, and McRae. The sample consisted of 174 subjects obtained from a college population. Both a two-factor and four-factor solution were obtained. Differential factor dimensionality was indicated for males and females. Further, the results revealed a high degree of similarity for Factor I items on the ANS-IE in relation to those obtained by Dixon et al. The findings support the contention that I-E is multidimensional in nature; however, these dimensions reflecting factorial validity have not been found to be consistently reliable across studies. Researchers are cautioned in utilizing items obtained from prior factor analytic studies in their research and in assuming that they measure necessarily comparable constructs.

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