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Recovery Locus of Control Scale (RLOC)3

Recovery Locus of Control Scale (RLOC) Test

Understand how someone views control in their rehab and recovery in about 2 minutes. This 9 item scale supports personalized planning, motivation coaching, and engagement insights.

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Questions: 92 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

33,034 views

4,019 completions

3,312 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

20/36

Recovery Locus of Control (RLoC)

Measures how strongly a person believes their own actions and responsibility influence recovery after illness or injury.

Low internal control

Moderate internal control

High internal control

0 – 12: Low internal control | 13 – 24: Moderate internal control | 25 – 36: High internal control

A score of 20 indicates a moderate sense of personal control and motivation toward engaging in the recovery process.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Rehab patients in recovery

46%OF USERS

People recovering after injury, surgery, or illness take it to understand how much they feel personally in control of their rehabilitation progress.

Physical therapists and clinicians

34%OF USERS

Rehabilitation professionals use it to gauge a patient’s mindset and tailor motivation, communication, and treatment planning.

Caregivers and family members

20%OF USERS

Close relatives take it to better support a loved one by recognizing whether encouragement should focus on autonomy or external help.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Recovery Locus of Control Scale, RLOC (RLoCSR)

Average

17.8

Normal range

12.6 — 23.1

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Not sure
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- Completely agree
- Agree
- Not sure
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Not sure
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree

These are 3 of the 9 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Recovery Locus of Control Scale (RLOC) Test - Symptoms and Signs

locus of control

attitude towards illness

Perceptions of personal control during rehabilitation can shape engagement and adherence to treatment. The Recovery Locus of Control Scale (RLOC) is a brief self-report measure designed to assess whether an individual attributes recovery outcomes primarily to internal factors (e.g., personal effort) or to external factors (e.g., chance or others).

It contains 9 items and typically requires about 2 minutes to complete. Items are phrased as short statements rated by the respondent, yielding an index of recovery-related locus of control that can be used to inform clinical formulation and guide supportive, motivational, or psychoeducational interventions. The Recovery Locus of Control Scale (RLOC) was developed by Johnston and Partridge.

Author: Johnston, M., Partridge, C.

Literature: Wallston, K. A., Wallston, B. S., & DeVellis, R. Development of the multidimensional health locus of control scales. Health Education Monographs. 1978.; Partridge, C., & Johnston, M. Perceived control of recovery from physical disability: Measurement and prediction. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. 1989.