Psychometric Properties of the Traffic Locus of Control Questionnaire for Iranian Drivers

Abstract

This study was conducted with the aim of locating and confirming the validity and reliability of the locus of control questionnaire in road traffic. The statistical population of this applied study consisted of motorists with valid certificates in Mashhad. The questionnaire was randomly filled in the summer of 2019 through on-site and face-to-face interviews with drivers in the city, followed by sending the questionnaire link through social media. The sample included 405 drivers (289 males and 197 females) who completed the new extension questionnaire of the Traffic Locus of Control Based on the Romanian Version (TLOC-RO). The construct validity of the questionnaire was assessed using two methods, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability of the instrument was further investigated by calculating Cronbach’s alpha (α) and the composite reliability (CR) index using LISREL8/8 and SPSS.22 software. Factor analysis confirmed the existence of 5 identified components in the main questionnaire that explained 54.8% of the total variance. Also, the Cronbach’s alpha for the internal locus of control was found to be 0.80, whereas the corresponding values for the external locus of control, including the factors of fate/randomness, other drivers, environment and vehicle, and religion, were calculated to be 0.79, 0.79, 0.76, and 0.92, respectively. The results show that the Farsi version of the locus of control belief is sufficiently valid and reliable, which makes it a powerful instrument for future studies to determine the locus of control beliefs of Iranian drivers.

Keywords

• traffic locus of control
• localization of questionnaire
• validity
• reliability
• factor structure