Control, means-ends, and agency beliefs: A new conceptualization and its measurement during childhood.

Abstract

We presented a new conceptualization of perceived control in which three conceptually independent sets of beliefs are distinguished: control beliefs, expectations about the extent to which agents (e.g., the self) can obtain desired outcomes; means-ends beliefs, expectations about the extent to which certain potential causes produce outcomes; and agency beliefs, expectations about the extent to which agents possess potential means. In a study of 155 children from Grades 2, 4, and 6, we demonstrated that children's questionnaire responses reflected the distinction between these beliefs. Factor analyses of the items for each known cause separately revealed the predicted three factors, marked by control, means-ends, and agency items, respectively. Likewise, factor analysis of the scale scores resulted in control and agency beliefs factors as well as three factors for means-ends beliefs. Initial evidence on the usefulness of the new scheme indicates that control, means-ends, and agency beliefs show differential developmental trajectories as well as differential relations with cognitive performance. Researchers from many areas have attempted to understand belief systems about control and action. Under the rubric of perceived control, researchers investigate the causes people view as responsible for important outcomes in their lives, the role people perceive themselves to play in influencing events, and the resources people believe they can access in reaching their goals. (See Baltes & Baltes, 1986, or Lefcourt, 1976, for reviews.) Perceived control has been examined not only because it is interesting in itself, but also because it predicts important

Goal Pursuit in the Context of Culture

“…The data were compared to a matched sample in West Berlin, involving over 500 children. Children's sense of academic effi cacy was operationalized as their judgments pertaining to whether they thought they could try hard, be smart, and have luck when it came to their school performance (Control, Agency, Means-Ends Instrument, CAMI, by Skinner et al, 1988 ).…”

Questionário de Crenças de Controlo face à Saúde (QCCS): Processo de desenvolvimento e validação de um instrumento

“…Efectivamente, alguns autores sugerem que a marcante incongruência dos dados empíricos sobre trajectórias de desenvolvimento das crenças de controlo na infância e adolescência reflecte, em parte, a dificuldade de tais constructos em analisar de forma discriminada diferentes dimensões inerentes ao conceito de Percepção de Controlo (ex., Thompson & Gustafson, 1996;Skinner, Chapman, & Baltes, 1988a). Mais especificamente, duas importantes dimensões da percepção de controlo que, ao não serem diferenciadas, poderão dificultar a interpretação dos dados empíricos existentes são, de um lado, a Percepção de Contingência de resultados e, de outro, a Percepção de Competência do Eu (Weisz, 1983;Weisz & Stipek, 1982;Skinner, 1996;Skinner & Connel, 1986).…”

Career-related goal pursuit among post-high school youth: Relations between personal control beliefs and control strivings

“…These items were based on items from the agency beliefs subscale of the Control, Agency and Means-Ends Brief Interview (CAMI) developed by Skinner et al (1988) for the classroom context and modified to fit the context of career goals in the school-to-work transition. Participants were asked to indicate how much they agreed with each statement, on a 5-point scale with a value of 1 = strongly disagree and a value of 5 = strongly agree.…”