Desirability of Control (DC) Scale: A Full Guide for Researchers and Clinicians
Published
The Desirability of Control (DC) Scale is a 20-item measure of the desire for control. Learn its five factors, scoring, reverse items and reliability.
Introduction
The Desirability of Control (DC) Scale is a 20-item self-report scale that measures individual differences in the general desire or motivation to control the events in one's life. Jerry M. Burger and Harris M. Cooper of the University of Missouri–Columbia published it in 1979 in Motivation and Emotion, and it has received more than 1,560 citations.
The DC Scale was intended for psychological research on control motivation and its links with behavioral and situational variables. This guide explains its factors, scoring, translations and evidence.
Key Features of the Desirability of Control (DC) Scale
Purpose and Use
The DC Scale measures the general desire for control over life events. It was developed for psychological research on control motivation.
Target Population
The DC Scale is used with adults. The original development sample consisted of college students, no age-specific norms were established, and it has typically been validated in adult populations.
Structure
The scale has 20 items, selected from an initial pool of 53 self-descriptive statements. The items cover controlling life events, making independent decisions, influencing others, taking leadership roles, preparing for and preventing problems, and avoiding dependence on others.
The original factor analysis identified five factors:
General Desire for ControlDecisivenessPreparation-Prevention ControlAvoidance of DependenceLeadershipScoring Method
Each item is rated on a 7-point scale:
Rating
Anchor
1
The statement does not apply to me at all
2
The statement usually does not apply to me
3
Most often, the statement does not apply
4
I am unsure whether the statement applies to me, or it applies about half the time
5
The statement applies more often than not
6
The statement usually applies to me
7
The statement always applies to me
Reverse-scored items: 7, 10, 16, 19 and 20Total score: the sum of the 20 item scores, from 20 to 140Higher scores indicate a greater desire for control. No cut-off scores have been reported.
Administration Format
The DC Scale is a self-report questionnaire using a 7-point Likert scale.
Applications of the Desirability of Control (DC) Scale
The DC Scale is used mainly in research:
Control motivation: measuring the desire for control as a stable individual difference.Experimental research: its construct validity was supported in illusion-of-control, learned helplessness and hypnosis research.Personality and health: examining links with locus of control, personality, coping and mental and somatic complaints.Languages and availability
The DC Scale has been used and adapted in several languages:
Spanish: a Spanish version of Burger and Cooper's scaleGerman: HAW Hamburg repositoryJapanese: Mukogawa repositoryDutch: psychometric properties in three Dutch samplesMandarin Chinese: a revised Chinese version has been usedThe DC Scale is widely and freely shared for non-commercial educational and research use with proper citation of Burger and Cooper (1979).
Reliability and Validity
In the original study, the DC Scale showed:
Internal consistency: Kuder-Richardson 20 of 0.80 in the original sample and 0.81 in a second sampleTest–retest reliability: 0.75 over about 6 weeksDiscriminant validity: low correlations with the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (r = -0.19) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (r = 0.11)Construct validity: supported by illusion-of-control, learned helplessness and hypnosis researchAcross studies, Cronbach's alpha is typically around 0.80.
Validation studies:
The desirability of control (1979): study linkDesirability of control: psychometric properties in three Dutch samples (2002): study linkThe factorial structure of the DC Scale among Kuwaiti subjects (2005): study linkThe desirability of control scale: still reliable and valid twenty years later: study linkLimitations and Considerations
Keep these points in mind:
Not sensitive to change: the scale was developed to measure a relatively stable individual difference.Narrow focus: it focuses on the desire for control over external events, interpersonal influence, leadership and independence, with less coverage of quiet personal autonomy, introverted independence and internal cognitive or emotional self-control.Age: it has been validated primarily in adult populations.Hidden sub-factors: research shows the scale is multidimensional, measuring distinct traits such as leadership, decision avoidance and destiny control. A single total score can hide these differences, so consider analyzing subscales separately.Other Versions And Related Questionnaires
A shortened version of the DC Scale is listed in PsycTESTS.
These questionnaires are related:
Rotter's Internal-External Control Scale (I-E Scale)Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SDS)Spheres of Control Scale (SOC)Desire for Control on Examinations (DCE)Additional Resources
The original article: linkFor inquiries, contact Jerry M. Burger at jburger@scu.edu. The original article lists the Center for Research in Social Behavior, University of Missouri–Columbia, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA.Browse more psychology questionnaires in the ResRef database.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does the Desirability of Control Scale measure?The DC Scale measures individual differences in the general desire or motivation to control the events in one's life, including decisiveness, leadership, preparation and prevention, and avoiding dependence on others.
How is the DC Scale scored?Each of the 20 items is rated from 1 to 7, and items 7, 10, 16, 19 and 20 are reverse scored. The item scores are summed for a total of 20 to 140, where higher scores mean a greater desire for control.
How reliable is the DC Scale?In the original study, Kuder-Richardson 20 values were 0.80 and 0.81, and test–retest reliability was 0.75 over about six weeks. Cronbach's alpha is typically around 0.80.
Is the Desirability of Control Scale free to use?The DC Scale is widely and freely shared for non-commercial educational and research use, provided you cite Burger and Cooper's 1979 article in Motivation and Emotion.
A Word from ResRef About the Desirability of Control (DC) Scale
The Desirability of Control Scale is a 20-item self-report measure developed to assess individual differences in general motivation for control in psychological research. The original study demonstrated good internal consistency, test–retest reliability, discriminant validity, and construct validation across several experimental contexts.
References
Burger, J. M., & Cooper, H. M. (1979). The desirability of control. Motivation and Emotion, 3(4), 381–393. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00994052Gebhardt, W. A., & Brosschot, J. F. (2002). Desirability of control: psychometric properties and relationships with locus of control, personality, coping, and mental and somatic complaints in three Dutch samples. European Journal of Personality, 16(6), 423–438. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.463Abdullatif, H. I., & Hamadah, L. N. (2005). The factorial structure of the desirability of control scale among Kuwaiti subjects. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 33(3), 307–312. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2005.33.3.307De Miguel Calvo, J. M., Martín Sanz, N., Sánchez-Iglesias, I., & Díaz Ruiz, M. A. (2012). Measuring the desire for control: a Spanish version of Burger and Cooper's Scale. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 15(3), 1432–40. https://doi.org/10.5209/rev_sjop.2012.v15.n3.39427Ilan, S., & Carmel, S. (2016). Desirability of Control Scale--Shortened Version. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/t57521-000