Measuring the Desire for Control: a Spanish Version of Burger and Cooper's Scale

Abstract

The following study will present findings on the validity of the adaptation of the Burger and Cooper's Desirability of Control Scale into Spanish. Two samples are present: the first involving 1,999 people to study their psychometric properties. In the second sample, 111 people were included to estimate test/retest reliability. Cultural adaptation was performed using the translation & back-translation method. Item analysis, internal consistency and test/retest reliability were assessed, then evidence of the validity of the internal structure was determined by using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Subject recruitment was performed to gather the 1,999 subjects stratified by age, gender quotas as designed in the sampling plan. Of the subjects, 51% were female, average age of 45 years old (SD=17.5). All items from the original scale were understood correctly, while five items presented ceiling effect. Cronbach's alpha =.736 and a test-retest correlation r =.713 were obtained. The factor structure indicated the presence of four dimensions: forecast, autonomy, power and influence and reactance which were reassured in the confirmatory analysis (chi(2)/df=4.805, CFI=. 932, TLI=. 954, RMSEA=.062). The basic dimensions of the scale have shown to be stable and well-defined, though not perfect. The scope, possible applications of the scale and further research are later proposed and discussed.

Full text

The following study will present findings on the validity of the adaptation of the Burger and Cooper’s Desirability
of Control Scale into Spanish. Two samples are present: the first involving 1,999 people to study their psychometric
properties. In the second sample, 111 people were included to estimate test/ retest reliability. Cultural adaptation
was performed using the translation & back-translation method. Item analysis, internal consistency and test/re-
test reliability were assessed, then evidence of the validity of the internal structure was determined by using
exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Subject recruitment was performed to gather the 1,999 subjects
stratified by age, gender quotas as designed in the sampling plan. Of the subjects, 51% were female, average
age of 45 years old (SD = 17.5). All items from the original scale were understood correctly, while five items
presented ceiling effect. Cronbach’s alpha = .736 and a test-retest correlation r= .713 were obtained. The factor
structure indicated the presence of four dimensions: forecast, autonomy, power and influence and reactance
which were reassured in the confirmatory analysis (χ2/df = 4.805, CFI =.932, TLI =.954, RMSEA = .062). The
basic dimensions of the scale have shown to be stable and well-defined, though not perfect. The scope, possible
applications of the scale and further research are later proposed and discussed.
Keywords: desire for control, adaptation, reliability, validity.
Se presenta la adaptación y validación al español de la Escala de Deseo de Control de Burger y Cooper. Se
emplearon dos muestras. Para estudiar las propiedades psicométricas de la escala se contó con una primera
muestra de 1999 (Medad = 45 años, DS = 17,5; 51% mujeres). Para estimar la fiabilidad test-retest se contó con
una segunda muestra de 111 personas. La adaptación cultural se llevó a cabo mediante el procedimiento de
traducción–retrotraducción. Se presentan las evidencias de validez de la estructura interna de la escala mediante
los resultados de sendos análisis factoriales, exploratorio y confirmatorio. El análisis de ítems reveló que todos
los elementos presentaron unos valores aceptables, aunque cinco de ellos mostraron efecto techo. El Alfa de
Cronbach fue de .736 y la Fiabilidad test–retest fue de .713. La estructura factorial indicó la presencia de cuatro
dimensiones: previsión, autonomía, poder e influencia y reactancia. La estructura fue corroborada en el análisis
confirmatorio (χ2/df = 4.805, CFI = .932, TLI = .954, RMSEA = .062). Las dimensiones de la escala son estables
y específicas, aunque no perfectas. Se discute el alcance y posibles aplicaciones de la escala y se proponen
futuras investigaciones.
Palabras clave: deseo de control, adaptación, fiabilidad, validez.
Measuring the Desire for Control: a Spanish
Version of Burger and Cooper's Scale
Jesús María De Miguel Calvo1, Noemy Martín Sanz1, Iván Sánchez-Iglesias2,
and Miguel Ángel Ruiz Díaz1
1Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
2Universidad Complutense (Spain)
The Spanish Journal of Psychology Copyright 2012 by The Spanish Journal of Psychology
2012, Vol. 15, No. 3, 1432-1440 ISSN 1138-7416
http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/rev_SJOP.2012.v15.n3.39427
The authors wish to thank María Oliva Marquez and Inge Schweiger for their valuable contributions in the translation process of
the scale.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jesús María de Miguel Calvo. Departamento de Psicología Social
y Metodología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. C/ Ivan P. Pavlov, 6. 28049-Madrid (Spain). Phone +34-914973260. Fax: +34-
914975215. E-mail: jesus.demiguel@uam.es
1432

People need control over the situations, events and
contexts that affect their lives, a fact which has been proven
in multiple studies to the point that its statement could be
considered tautological. They try to effectively interact with
their environment producing desired outcomes and
preventing undesired outcomes (Skinner, 1996). In short,
people seek to control their own situation and this control
is identified as a basic human need. Having control over
surrounding circumstances has been associated with
psychologically adequate running and healthy states (Langer,
1983; Miller, Combs, & Stoddard, 1989; Rodin, 1986). On
the contrary, lack of control is considered a risk factor that
induces the loss of psychological, social and biological
health (Karasek, 1979; Woodward & Wallston, 1987).
The motivation to control behavior has been considered
one of the central mechanisms for understanding and
explaining human actions. Although previous research has
indicated that the need for control is something relevant to
all people, it has also been suggested that there may be
individual differences in the extent it drives human action
(Gebhardt & Brosschot, 2002). Merluzzi and Martinez
(1997) studied the effects of exercising or not exercising
control over individual welfare. Their findings indicate that
providing control to those who do not wish to have it may
be as damaging as removing control from those who seek
it. In this context, the study of the “Desire for Control”
(Burger & Cooper, 1979) regains importance, as it is based
on the individual differences that exist in the motivation to
control events that happen in daily life. Furthermore, when
the social order that governs the evolution of daily life is
losing its ability to guide human behavior, causing
uncertainty to be the basic characteristic of social climate
and fear its psychological translation (Bauman, 2007).
Despite the relevance of the topic, there is a lack of any
instrument in Spanish measuring this motivation and able
to establish individual differences. The research presented
here is relevant in that it provides a proposal for measuring
the desire for control in the Spanish population. To this
end, we propose to adapt and validate the Desirability of
Control Scale created by to Burger and Cooper (1979).
The original scale valued the desire for control in general
terms (e.g., I enjoy having control of my own destiny) and
in specific situations (e.g., I’d rather start my own business
and make my own mistakes than listen to someone else’s
orders). The psychometric properties of the scale were
acceptable and appropriate. Reliability rates of the scale also
reached acceptable levels, measuring both internal consistency
(KR = .80) and reliability test/ re-test at six weeks (r= .75).
Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a five-factor structure
which accounted for 50.4% of the total variance (Burger &
Cooper, 1979). Subsequent studies have confirmed the
psychometric properties, though not the factor structure.
(Aarnio & Lindeman, 2004; Abdullatif & Hamadah, 2005;
Gebhardt & Brosschot, 2002; McCutheon, 2000; Myers,
2000). Additionally, various adaptations to different languages
have maintained the psychometric guarantees. Among them,
the French version (α = .7) (Alain, 1989), German (α = .77)
(Braukmann, 1981), Dutch (α = .77) (Gebhardt, & Brosschot,
2002), Greek (α = .84) (Pierro, Lavinia, & Raven, 2008),
Turkish (α = .75) (Egrigozlu, 2002) and Kuwaiti (α = .65)
(Hamadah & Abdullatif, 2000). The adaptations to specific
contexts has also been successful: the scale for children (α
= .81) (Heft et al., 1988); the scale for health contexts (α=
.84) (Smith, Wallston, Wallston, Forsberg, & King , 1984);
the scale for dental treatment (α = .68) (Logan, Baron, Keeley,
Law, & Stein, 1991); the scale combined with anxiety (α=
.81) (Moulding, Kyrios, Doron, & Nedeljkovic , 2009) and
the scale for examination contexts (α = .74) (Wise, Roos,
Leland, Oats, & McCrann, 1996).
Differences in the desire for control, as measured by this
scale, have been capable to account for a significant
percentage of the variance of several behaviors hypothetically
related to motivation for control. For example, Green, Gidron,
Frigo, and Almog (2005) found that patients hospitalized in
the Intensive Care Unit needed higher doses of sedation when
they expressed a strong desire for control. In 2007, Ogle and
Clements conducted a study with a sample of individuals
who had been victims of domestic violence. Their findings
indicate that subjects who had less desire for control and
lower perceived control tended to double the number of
physical aggressions when compared to the group with a
greater desire for control. In accordance with these results,
Parker, Jimmieson, and Amiot (2009) also found that
individuals with a high desire for control are more satisfied
with the work they accomplish, perform better and hold a
greater sense of control in their tasks than others with a lower
desire for control. Replicating Milgram’s obedience studies
in 2009, Burger found that the greater the desire for control,
the lower the level of electric shock administered by the
study participants to their human subjects. These results apply
to different contexts and different applications in which the
scale has been used. After conducting a descriptive analysis
of the measures of motivation over the last 75 years, (Mayer,
Faber, & Xu, 2007) concluded that the Desirability of Control
Scale is one of the most valuable emerging motivation
measures on the area of social psychology.
The objectives of the following study are: 1) To adapt
Burger and Cooper’s Desirability of Control Scale (1979)
to Spanish culture, 2) Factor validation of the Spanish
version, and 3) Verification of the factor structure of the
original scale.
Method
Participants
The subjects chosen for this study are a representative
sample of the adult Spanish population. A stratified random
sampling procedure was used with age quotas (18-24, 25-
MEASURING THE DESIRE FOR CONTROL 1433

DE MIGUEL, MARTÍN, SÁNCHEZ-IGLESIAS AND RUIZ
1434
34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64 and 65 or more) and sex quotas,
and sizes proportional to the Spanish population above 18
years of age (see table 1). The sampling plan recommended
to include a total of 1,999 cases and the recruitment of
participants was kept open until each quota was met. In
order to achieve the final effective sample, 3,507 protocols
were collected and 1,508 were rejected due to incomplete
responses. Incompleteness was due to lack of socio-
demographic data, which prevented correct assignment to
a stratum, or incomplete responses to an additional scale
of locus of control, which was ultimately discarded because
of its incorrect metric behavior. The error rate to be assumed
in estimating a population proportion was .0224, for a 95%
confidence level and p=q= .5.
The final sample was composed by participants ranging
from 18 to 93 years of age (M= 45.53, SD = 17.47) with
a ratio of 51% women and 49% men. In regards to
occupation, 57.3% were currently employed, 17.4% retired,
12.9% students, 8.4% performed unpaid domestic work, and
3.8% were unemployed. Spanish was the native language
for 98.4% of individuals. Participants were recruited by a
team of 25 interviewers, who followed a standardized set
of instructions taught in a training session. Participants were
recruited off the street and in occupational, employment,
leisure and training centres. A telemetric version of the
questionnaire was also available. Along with technical
instructions, some other issues such as the voluntary
participation, the purpose of the work and the guaranteeing
anonymity to participants were stressed before measurements.
When implementing the factor analysis, a cross-
validation was conducted: the sample was randomly divided
in two halves, preserving age and sex quotas. In the
exploratory factor analysis, a sub-sample of 1,000
participants was assessed, and a different sub-sample of
999 participants was used in the confirmatory factor
analysis, aiming to compare estimation procedures with
independent samples.
In order to study scale test/re-test reliability, a separate
sample composed of 190 different participants was recruited.
The final second sample was composed of 111 participants
with valid measures, added ad hoc to check test/ re-test
reliability. This second sample was made up of participants
who could be tracked more easily, reducing the risk of
follow-up loss, and due to the fact that monitoring the 1,999
participants sample was very complex. Furthermore,
individuals consenting for a second re-test measure could
have introduced undesirable bias. This is due to the
difficulty to control the reason for non-response in large
samples, given that it is not possible to comprehensively
monitor the entire sample. Moreover, insisting on getting
a response may influence the measurement of the desire
for control.
Therefore, the test/re-test reliability estimation study
should be considered a complementary measure to provide
additional evidence of the psychometric properties of the
instrument. A total of 79 people were lost in follow-up, and
111 participating (88 female, 23 male) within the age range
of 19 to 24 years (M= 20.29, SD = 1.01). The native
language for 99.1% of the participants was Spanish.
Participants were students voluntarily recruited at the
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. There was an interval
of four months between the two measurements.
Variables and measures.
The Desire for Control is defined as the individual
differences in the general level of motivation to control the
events in one’s life (Burger & Cooper, 1979, pp. 382-383).
In this case, it was measured by the Spanish cultural
adaptation of the Desire for Control Scale, which is the
validation object of this study (see table 2).
A data collection form was created consisting of: (a)
the adapted version of the Desirability of Control Scale,
(b) two more scales to be used in future studies of
convergent and divergent validation and (c) socio-
demographic characteristics of participants (age, sex, level
of education, occupation and employment status, and native
language).
Table 1
Sample distribution in sex and age quotas
Men Women
Age (years)
n%n%
18-24 108 5.40 103 5.15
25-34 217 10.86 202 10.11
35-44 201 10.06 193 9.65
45-54 158 7.90 158 7.90
55-64 123 6.15 130 6.50
65 or more 172 8.60 234 11.71
Total 979 48.97 1020 51.03 1.999
ote. Source, Spanish population data, 2007. Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 2008.Age range took from Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas.

MEASURING THE DESIRE FOR CONTROL 1435
Procedure
In order to translate the scale, the method used was
translation and back-translation of the original instrument
(Hambleton, Merenda, & Spielberger, 2005; Sperber, 2004).
Four bilingual translators translated the scale from English
into Spanish. The research expert panel monitored a process
to settle translation differences and agreed on the final draft
of the items to be included in the conciliation version. Lastly,
a fifth bilingual translator, who was not involved in the previous
process, translated the conciliation version from Spanish into
English, in order to corroborate that the translation was correct.
The scale consists of 20 items with ordinal responses in a 5-
point Likert scale, where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly
agree. In 1979, the original scale ranged from 1 to 7 (e.g.: 1
= the statement does not apply to me at all; 2 = the statement
usually does not apply to me). However, aside from translating
and adapting the items on the scale, the research team
Table 2
Items analysis
M SD Hj1 Hj2 α1α2
1. Prefiero un trabajo donde tenga mucho control sobre lo que hago y cuando lo hago 3.73 1.23 .244 .239 .701 0.725
2. Disfruto de la participación política porque quiero tener tanta influencia en el
gobierno como sea posible 2.63 1.28 .169 .709
3. Trato de evitar las situaciones en las que otra persona me dice que es lo que
tengo que hacer 3,46 1,17 .282 .312 .697 0.717
4. Prefiero ser líder que seguidor 3.41 1.12 .477 .485 .678 0.698
5. Disfruto pudiendo influir en las acciones de los demás 2.94 1.18 .179 .185 .707 0.731
6. Soy cuidadoso comprobando todo en un coche antes de realizar un largo viaje 3.58 1.25 .172 .212 .708 0.729
7. ormalmente, los demás saben qué es lo mejor para mí 3.57 1.12 .154 .708
8. Disfruto tomando mis propias decisiones 4.27 .901 .490 .489 .682 0.702
9. Disfruto teniendo control sobre mi propio destino 4.15 .947 .452 .461 .684 0.704
10. Prefiero que otro asuma el rol de líder cuando estoy implicado en un proyecto
de grupo 3.05 1.15 .275 .346 .697 0.714
11. Considero que generalmente estoy más capacitado para manejar situaciones
que otros 3.18 .994 .317 .368 .694 0.711
12. Prefiero emprender mi propio negocio y cometer mis propios errores
que escuchar las órdenes de otra persona 3.34 1.15 .320 .349 .693 0.715
13. Me gusta tener una idea clara acerca de cómo es el trabajo antes de empezarlo 4.42 .823 .321 .340 .695 0.715
14. Cuando veo un problema, prefiero hacer algo al respecto antes que dejarlo pasar 4.24 .90 .341 .467 .693 0.701
15. Prefiero dar órdenes en lugar de recibirlas 3.41 1.06 .428 .290 .684 0.719
16. Desearía poder delegar muchas de las decisiones de mi vida diaria a otras personas 3.44 1.25 .148 .710
17. Cuando conduzco, trato de evitar situaciones donde pueda resultar herido por
culpa de los errores de otros 4.25 1.03 .257 .402 .699 0.707
18. Prefiero evitar las situaciones donde alguien me diga lo que debería hacer 3.56 1.10 .353 .216 .690 0.727
19. En muchas situaciones preferiría tener sólo una opción antes que tener que
tomar una decisión 2.99 1.27 .122 .713
20. Me gusta esperar y ver si alguien va a resolver un problema para no tener que
molestarme 3.68 1.21 .229 .146 .702 0.735
ote: Items removed from the original scale are in italics.
M= Mean, SD = Standard Desviation, Hj1 = Homogeneity Index (first analysis), Hj2 = Homogeneity Index (second analysis), α2= Cronbach’s
alpha (first analysis), α1= Cronbach’s alpha (second analysis).

DE MIGUEL, MARTÍN, SÁNCHEZ-IGLESIAS AND RUIZ
1436
determined it was necessary to adapt the scale metric in order
to facilitate the responses of the participants and to avoid
possible inconsistencies previously observed in response scales
with five or more possible choices (Abad, Olea, Ponsoda, &
Garcia, 2011). The research team also considered whether to
adapt the wording of the answers, only defining the extreme
cases of the measurement scale. Research on the anchoring
of the metric scale by all responses or only by extreme anchors
concludes that the use of either option does not affect the
results (Chang, 1997). In addition, the literal translation of the
content of scale points was meaningless in Spanish.
Nevertheless, since this is a self-reported measure, we
determined that it would be more appropriate to declare
responses anchors in terms of agreement or disagreement so
that they could reflect the degree of participants attribution to
certain actions in their every day behavior. In the original form,
participants answered categorically as to whether their conduct
matched the item content.
To obtain a total score on the scale, it is necessary to
consider that item 10 is reversed. Before using the scale,
a pilot study was conducted, gathering detailed qualitative
information from 20 different subjects. The translation of
the Desirability of Control Scale did not impede the
participants’ understanding of the items.
Data Analysis
Reliability was measured using several indicators:
Cronbach’s alpha, Spearman-Brown coefficient and test-retest
correlation. We used Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using
item correlations in order to estimate the composition of the
underlying factors. Since item scores are measured in ordered
categories, the EFA was performed over the polychoric
correlation matrix (Lancaster & Hamdan, 1964; Olsson, 1979).
To determine the number of underlying data factors, we used
several heuristics: K1 rule, the scree plot, and a repertory of
goodness of fit statistics: chi-square (and the quotient by its
degrees of freedom), RMSR (Root Mean Square Residual)
and RMSEA, and parallel analysis using principal axes
(O’Connor, 2000). We also took previous theories into account
to assess the suitability of different factor solutions. For the
extraction of factors, a robust weighted least squares estimation
(WLSMV) was used, suitable for categorical data (Muthén
& Muthén, 2007). After confirming that oblique rotation
(Promax) solution matched the original structure, an orthogonal
rotation (Varimax) was allowed. In order to check the fit of
the structure obtained through EFA, a Confirmatory Factor
Analysis (CFA) was also completed. The CFA reveals the
theoretical commitment with an existing model, so that it can
be tested with data obtained in the sample (Ruiz, 2000). The
estimation method used was WLSMV. First, we used the ratio
of chi-square to the degrees of freedom. As comparative
indexes, CFI (Comparative Fit Index) and TLI (Tucker-Lewis
Index) were used. Finally, two residual indexes were obtained
SRMR (Standard Root Mean Square Residual) and RMSEA.
Analysis was performed using SPSS version 19 and Mplus
(Muthén, 2007) softwares.
Results
First, it was checked that there were no significant
differences between the participants who were recruited by
the survey team and answering to the paper-and-pencil
version and those who answered the questionnaire in
telemetric version. Data analysis showed no significant
differences in mean score on the Desirability of Control
Scale between participants responding to an interviewer (M
= 71.32, SD = 8.84) and those responding electronically
(M= 71.17, SD = 7.5), (t= .229, p> .05).
Item Analysis
Item means varied between 2.63 (Item 2) and 4.42 (Item
13) and overall item average was 3.56. Regarding item
standard deviations, they ranged from .823 (Item 13) to 1.287
(Item 2). A ceiling effect was observed for items 8, 9, 13,
14, 17. On these items, the highest category was chosen by
43.6-57.8% of participants.
All items attained an adjusted homogeneity index
significantly different from zero (see Pardo & San Martín,
2001). However, in a first analysis, four items were removed
(items 2, 7, 16 and 19) which presented an adjusted
homogeneity index less than .170 and also barely contributed
to the test internal consistency. After this first analysis, we
repeated the procedure, finding that item 20 showed a low
homogeneity index (H20 = .14) and its removal contributed
to increase the test internal consistency. The final
questionnaire consisted of 15 items. (See Table 2).
Indicators of Reliability
Internal consistency reliability was calculated for the whole
sample (n= 1999). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the 15
items was .736. The reliability coefficient for the entire test
using the Spearman-Brown estimate was .757. Test-retest
reliability was computed using the second sample (n= 111),
and the result obtained for a time interval of four months was
.713. The three reliability indicators were above .700 and
should be considered modest, although they exceed Nunnally’s
recommendations (1981) for tests in the validation or
adaptation stage.
Exploratory Factor Analysis
As a whole, we decided to retain four factors, and this
model fitted well to the data (n= 1000). The absolute fit
index chi-square to degrees of freedom was less than 3
(exceeding Carmines & McIver´s, 1981 more restrictive
recommendations), RMSEA was less than .05 (Browne &

Cudeck, 1993) and an RMSR less than .1 (Chau, 1997).
The observed values were CMIN / DF = 2.5, RMSEA =
.039, and RMSR = .023. The model explained 55% of the
total variance. The factor solution after orthogonal rotation
exhibited the underlying structure depicted in Table 3. In
regard to item contents, obtained factors included: Forecast,
Reactance, Power and Influence and Autonomy. Based on
the results attained, a theoretical model was proposed for
confirmation where: (1) each factor accounts for those items
suggested by the EFA, and (2) the four factors may co-vary.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis
The structure proposed by EFA was simplified, assigning
items 1 and 12 to the more conceptually sustainable
dimension, and having exhibited empirical loading within
that dimension. To determine the fit of the new structure, a
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was estimated. Using
the second half of the sample (n= 999) a CFA was carried
out, which showed an adequate fit to the data. The
representation of the model and the standardized weights
obtained are shown in Figure 2. The model absolute goodness
of fit index was acceptable (CMIN / DF = .4805). The
comparative goodness fit indexes obtained were CFI=.932
and TLI=.954. Referencing the bench-mark values proposed
by Schreiber, Nora, Stage, Barlow and King (2006), the
results of these indexes were considered acceptable.
A factor structure built on four dimensions was
proposed. The Forecast factor consisted of items 6, 13, 14
and 17 (α = .567, n= 1999). The Reactance factor consisted
of items 3, 12, and 18 (α = .585, n= 1999). Power and
influence factor consisted of items 4, 5, 10, 11 and 15 (α
= .665, n= 1999). The Autonomy factor consisted of items
1, 8 and 9 (α = .512, n= 1999).
Residual-based indexes were SRMR = .046 and RMSEA
= .062. Considering Browne and Cudeck criteria (1993),
these values are acceptable. Considering the absolute,
comparative and residual fit indexes as a whole, it was
concluded that there is an adequate fit between the theoretical
model and empirical data.
Given the observed degree of correlations between
factors, we also considered a model in which four factors
were influenced by a second order factor. This model of a
single second order factor achieved a less acceptable fit to
the data and also less explanatory power.
ormative Data
Lastly, a good discrimination of participants was
observed when using the distribution of scores (M= 55,
SD = 7.46, max = 75, min = 15). The null hypothesis of
normality of the scores was rejected (Z= 2031, p< .01),
although a visual inspection of the histogram showed a
distribution close normal, though with negative skewness.
MEASURING THE DESIRE FOR CONTROL 1437
Table 3
Loading matrix, Weighted squares estimation method, Varimax rotation
Factor
Item I II III IV
13 .772 .108 .000 .120
14 .622 –.060 .051 .168
17 .550 .127 –.009 .089
6.417 .070 .010 .034
1.268 .103 .083 .161
18 .209 .693 .167 .108
3 .038 .668 .074 .081
4 .087 .158 .709 .115
15 .083 .315 .666 .055
11 .061 .100 .555 .055
5–.070 –.046 .488 .003
12 .178 .330 .337 .157
10 .004 .009 .333 .186
9 .282 .133 .213 .752
8 .400 .201 .155 .613
Eigenvalues before rotation 3.827 2.072 1.288 1.043
% Variance explained 25.51 13.81 8.59 6.95
Cronbach’s Alpha (n= 1999) .536 .604 .670 .703
ote. Allocation of items to each factor based on its factor loading are in boldtype.

DE MIGUEL, MARTÍN, SÁNCHEZ-IGLESIAS AND RUIZ
1438
Discussion
The results of the study suggest that the Spanish version
of the Desirability of Control Scale by Burger and Cooper
(1979) has sufficient psychometric guarantees, making it
acceptable to use it on the Spanish adult population. The
Spanish version has similar psychometric properties to the
original version and its various adaptations used in multiple
situations. However, the factor structure of the scale must
be completed and improved, as a number of dimensions
that explain the motivation of control are missing. This
improvement is necessary to the extent that the standardized
weights of some items reveal an unacceptable error level.
Due to these results, we propose a tentative structure
model for the Spanish version of the Desirability of Control
Scale consisting of four factors. Considering substantive
content both of items and factors, the four dimensions
measured by the instrument were named Forecast, Reactance,
Power and Influence and Autonomy.
Forecast: Anticipating future events and situations in
order to be prepared for action. This anticipation is made
based on information and resources available (Dantzer, 2004).
Reactance: Motivational stress which is activated when
removed, restricted or threatened with elimination or limitation
of freedom of action. This force is designed to restore
eliminated, limited or threatened freedoms (Brehm, 1966).
Figure 1. Hypothetical model of 4 correlated factors. Standardized coefficients.
Figure 2.

MEASURING THE DESIRE FOR CONTROL 1439
Power and Influence: Power is defined as the ability or
potential to influence others. Influence is understood as the
effective production of changes in behavior, or the effective
exercise of power (Michener & Suchner, 1972).
Autonomy: The degree of responsibility, independence
and freedom that individuals have to make decisions (De
Miguel, 1999). Furthermore, according to Campbell, Dunnette,
Lawler, and Weik (1970), autonomy also includes guidance
toward rules and opportunities to exercise individual initiative.
Nevertheless, the study of motivation of control and its
measurement should not be restricted to factors related to
the desire for control. While the definition of Burger and
Cooper’s (1979) scale of desire for control refer to
individual differences in motivation of control, the
relationship of similarity between motivation of control and
the desirability of control can be questioned. Doubts arise
based not only on the results of our structural analysis for
the Spanish version of the scale, but also due to the fact
that a different structure has been obtained each time that
the structure has been analyzed (Aarnio & Lindeman, 2004;
Abdullatif & Hamadah, 2005; Gebhardt & Brosschot, 2002;
McCutheon, 2000; Myers, 2000). Furthermore, these doubts
are also present after a thorough conceptual review.
The results show that this scale could be improved,
although it is the only one currently available to accurately
measure the desire for control. While the basic dimension is
stable and well defined, its measurement is far from perfect.
Given the importance of this construct in social research, we
consider urgent to report the results while issuing warnings
about the potential misuse, and to prevent lack of accuracy
that can be obtained using the current instrument. Having
used a second independent sample for estimating test/retest
reliability can be considered a restriction present in our study.
Our proposal to improve the scale is to include a
measurement to assess motivation dimensions related to
the basic need for control (which is not affected by
individual decisions) and volitional processes (referring to
the effort made to achieve desires). The next steps will
involve improvement of the cultural adaptation of the items.
While the general items have acceptable standardized
weights, specific weights have proven to be less acceptable
and match up with those that have a high contextual value
(e.g. political participation or driving cars).
References
Aarnio, K., & Lindeman, M. (2004). Magical food and health beliefs:
A portrait of believers and functions of the beliefs. Appetite,43,
65–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.appet.2004.03.002
Abad, F., Olea, J., Ponsoda, V., & García, C. (2011). Medición
en ciencias sociales y de la salud [Assesment in social and
health sciencies]. Madrid, Spain: Editorial Síntesis.
Abdullatif, H., & Hamadah, L. (2005). The factor structure of the
desirability of control scale among Kuwaiti subjects. Social
behavior and personality,33, 307–312. http://dx.doi.org/
10.2224/sbp.2005.33.3.307
Alain, M. (1989). Traduction fracaise de léchelle de désir de
controle [French translation of desire for control scale].
(Unpublished document). Montreal, Canada: Universite du
Quebec a Trois-Rivieres.
Bauman, Z. (2007). Tiempos líquidos [Liquid times]. Barcelona,
Spain: Tusquets.
Burger, J. M., & Cooper, H. M. (1979). The desirability of control.
Motivation and Emotion,3, 381–393. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/
BF00994052
Burger, J. M. (2009). Replicating Milgram: Would people still
obey today? American Psychologist,64, 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/
10.1037/a0010932
Braukman, W. (1981). Darstellung eines Bezugsrahmens zum
Konzept der Kontollmotivation und Entwicklung einer
deutschsprachigen Version der “Desire of control scale” von
Burger and Cooper [Representation of a framework for the
concept of Control motivation and development of a German
version of “Desire for Control Scale” of Burger and Cooper.].
Forschungsbericht Projekt Entwicklungspsychologie des
Erwachsenenalters, 12. Trier, Germany: Universität Trier
Brehm, J. W. (1966). A Theory of Psychological Reactance. San
Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing
model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural
equation models. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Campbell, J. P., Dunnette, M., Lawler, E., & Weick, K. Jr. (1970).
Managerial behavior, performance and effectiveness. New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Carmines, E. G., & McIver, J. P. (1981). Analyzing models with
unobserved variables. In G. Bohrnstedt & E. F. Borgatta (Eds.),
Social measurement: Current issues. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Chang, P. Y. (1997). Dependability of anchoring labels of Likert-
type scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 57,
800–807. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0013164497057005005
Chau, P. Y. (1997). Reexamining a model for evaluating
information center success using a structural equation modeling
approach. Decision Sciences, 28, 309–334. http://dx.doi.org/
10.1111/j.1540-5915.1997.tb01313.x
Dantzer, R. (2004). Previsión [Forecast]. In R. Doron & F. Parot.
(Dir.), Diccionario Akal de Psicología [Akal’s dictionary of
Psychology]. Madrid, Spain: Akal.
De Miguel, J. (1999). Autonomía [Autonomy]. In M. Fernández-
Ríos (Dir.), Diccionario de recursos humanos. Organización
y dirección [Dictionary of human resources. Organization and
direction]. Madrid, Spain: Díaz de Santos.
Egrigozlu, E. (2002). Hemsirelerde is kontrolü, kontrol istegi ile
tükenmislik ve fiziksel saglik arasindaki iliskiler [Nurses is
control, control with the request of the relationship between
burnout and physical health.]. Yayinlanmamis Yüksek Lisans
Tezi, Ankara: Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Psikoloji Bölümü.
Green, T., Gidron, Y., Frige, M., & Almog, Y. (2005). Relative-
assessed psychological factors predict sedation requirement
in critically ill patients. Psychosomatic Medicine,67, 295–
300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000156928.12980.99
Gebhart, W. A., & Brosschot, J. F (2002). Desirability of control:
Psychometric properties and relationships with locus of control,

DE MIGUEL, MARTÍN, SÁNCHEZ-IGLESIAS AND RUIZ
1440
personality, coping, and mental and somatic complaints in
three Dutch samples. European journal of personality,16,
423–438. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/per.463
Hamadah, N. L., & Abdullatif, I. H. (2000). Psychological
hardiness and the desirability of control for college students.
Derasat afseyah,12, 229–272.
Hambleton, R. K., Merenda, P., & Spielberger, C. (2005). Adapting
educational and pscyhological test for cross-cultural assesment.
Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence S. Erlbaum Publishers.
Heft, L., Thoresen, C., Kirmil-Gray, K., Wiedenfeld, S. Eagleston,
J., Bracke, P., & Arnow, B. (1988) Emotional and temperamental
correlates of type A in children and adolescents. Journal of
youth and adolescence,17, 461–475. http://dx.doi.org/
10.1007/BF01537825
Karasek, R. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude and mental
strain: Implications for job redesign. Administrative Science
Quarterly, 24, 285–306. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2392498
Lancaster, H. O., & Hamdan, M. A. (1964). Estimation of the
correlation coefficient in contingency charts with possibly
nonmetrical characters. Psychometrika, 29, 383–391.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02289604
Langer, E. J. (1983). The Psychology of Control. Beverly Hills,
CA: Sage Publications.
Logan, H. L., Baron, R. S., Keeley, K., Law, A., & Stein, S.
(1991). Desired and felt control as mediators of stress in a
dental setting. Health psychology, 10, 352–359.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.10.5.352
Mayer, J. D., Faber, M. A., & Xu, X. (2007). Seventy-five years
of motivation measures (1930-2005): A descriptive analysis.
Motivation and Emotion, 31, 83–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/
s11031-007-9060-2
McCutcheon, L. E. (2000). The desirability of control scale: Still
reliable and valid twenty years later. Current research in social
psychology, 5, 225–235.
Merluzzi, T. V., & Martínez, M. A. (1997). Perceptions of coping
behaviors by persons with cancer and health care provides. Psycho–
Oncology, 6, 197–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-
1611(199709)6:3<197::AID-PON270>3.3.CO;2-J
Michener, H. A., & Suchner, R. (1972). Tactical use of social
power. In J. Tedeschi (Ed.), The Social influence processes.
Chicago, IL: Aldine.
Miller, S. M., Combs, C., & Stoddard, E. (I989). Information,
coping and control in patients undergoing surgery and stressful
medical procedures. In A. Steptoe & A. Appels (Eds.), Stress,
personal control and health. New York, NY: Wiley.
Moulding, R., Kyrios, M., Doron, G., & Nedeljkovic, M. (2009).
Mediated and direct effects of general control beliefs on obsessive
compulsive symptoms. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science,
41, 84–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0014840
Muthén, B. O. (2007). Mplus. Statistical Analysis With Latent
Variables. [Software]. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.
Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2007). Mplus User’s Guide. 5th
Ed. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.
Myers, D. (2000). Psicología social 6ª Ed. [Social Psychology.
6th Ed.]. Bogotá, Colombia: McGrawHill.
Nunnally, J. C. (1981). Psychometric theory. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.
O´Connor, B. P. (2000). SPSS and SAS programs for determining
the number of components using parallel analysis and Velicer’s
MAP test. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, &
Computers, 32, 396–402. http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03
200807
Ogle, R., & Clements, C. (2007). A comparison of batterers to
nonbatterers on behavioral and self-reports measures of control.
Journal and applied social psychology, 37, 2688–2705.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00276.x
Olsson, U. (1979). Maximum likelihood estimation of the
polychoric correlation coefficient. Psychometrika, 44, 443–
460. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02296207
Pardo, A., & San Martín, R. (2001). Análisis de datos en psicología
II [Data analysis in Psychology II]. Madrid, Spain: Pirámide.
Parker, S., Jimmieson, N., & Amiot, C. (2009). The Stress-
buffering effects of control on task satisfaction and perceived
goal attainment: An experimental study of the moderating
influence of desirability of control. Applied psychology, 58,
622–652. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2008.00367.x
Pierro, A., Lavinia, C., & Raven, B. (2008). Motivated compliance
with bases of social power. Journal of Applied Social
Psychology, 38, 1921–1944. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-
1816.2008.00374.x
Rodin, J. (1986). Aging and health: Effects of the sense of control.
Science, 233, 1271–1276. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.3749877
Ruiz, M. A. (2000). Introducción a los modelos de ecuaciones
estructurales [Introduction to structural equation models].
Madrid, Spain: UNED Ediciones.
Schreiber, J. B., Nora, A., Stage, F. K., Barlow, E. A., & King. J.
(2006). Reporting structural equation modeling and
confirmatory factor analysis results: A review. The Journal of
Educational Research, 99, 323–338. http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/
JOER.99.6.323-338
Skinner, E. A. (1996). A guide to constructs of control. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 549–570.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.71.3.549
Smith, R. A., Wallston, B. S., Wallston, K. A., Forsberg, P. R., &
King, J. E. (1984). Measuring desire of control of health care
processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47,
415–426. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.47.2.415
Wise, S. L., Roos, L. L., Leland, V. L., Oats, R. G., & McCrann,
T. O. (1996). The development and validation of a scale
measuring desirability of control on examinations. Educational
and Psychological Measurement, 56, 710–718.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0013164496056004012
Woodward, N. J., & Wallston, B. S. (1987). Age and health care
beliefs: Self-efficacy as a mediator of low desirability of
control. Psychology and Aging, 2, 3–8. http://dx.doi.org/
10.1037/0882-7974.2.1.3
Received April 8, 2011
Revision received July 20, 2011
Accepted September 15, 2011