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We conducted three known-groups studies to obtain discriminant validity information among potential self-report measures of the construct desire for control over health care processes. In the first study we looked at types of preparation for childbirth; in Studies 2 and 3 we investigated choice of a place in which to die and signing a Living Will. With none of the measures could we adequately distinguish those who had signed a Living Will (or intended to) from those who did not intend to sign one. The best discriminator of a choice of a place to die (hospital vs. home or hospice) and type of preparation for childbirth (Lamaze vs. other types of classes vs. no classes) was the Information subscale of Krantz's Health Opinion Survey (KHOS; Krantz, Baum, & Wideman, 1980). With the Behavioral Involvement subscale of the KHOS and our newly designed situation-specific measure of desire for control, we could only inconsistently discriminate among the groups. The generalized measure, Burger and Cooper's (1979) Desire for Control Scale, did not help us to discriminate among these groups. Correlations of these measures with demographic variables are provided and discussed.

Two cross-sectional studies explored the relationship between age and individuals' desire for control both on a general day-to-day level and as patients in health care situations. The relationship between age and expectancies for control over health also was examined. In Study 1, questionnaire surveys completed by 246 community adults ranging in age from 19 to 77 indicated that for health-specific measures at older ages, belief in internal control and desire for control are lower, and belief in control by powerful others is higher. In contrast, no significant differences in general desires for control were found across age groups. In Study 2, expectancies and desire for control in relation to the health of 350 patients about to undergo barium enemas, chemotherapy, or surgery were measured. Older adults reported a lower desire for control of their health care and a greater belief in the ability of powerful others to control their health than did younger adults. The replication of these age differences across samples differing in several respects, including education and health status, suggests that this is a highly reliable finding.

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