A CROSS-CULTURAL VALIDATION OF TRICES ACADEMIC LOCUS OF CONTROL SCALEFOR COLLEGE-STUDENTS IN AN OMANI SAMPLE

This study examined the validity of the Academic Locus of Control scal e in a nonwestern culture. Subjects were 491 college undergraduate stu dents majoring in education (123 men and 368 women). Rotter's I-E scal e and an achievement motivation scale were administered also. Correlat ion coefficients of .33 and .45 of scores on the Academic Locus of Con trol Scale march those on the two validating inventories. Predictive v alidity as measured by the correlation with GPA was only .20. Among th e present sample, the Academic Locus of Control Scale was a better pre dictor of GPA than Rotter's I-E scale (r = .06). Unlike the American s ample, Omani women had a significantly higher mean externality score t han men which reflects cultural differences. Although Omani subjects d id not differ from American subjects in mean externality score, patter ns of responses were different. An attempt was made to explain these d ifferences in terms of cultural disparities.