Powerlessness (State)

What it measures

The scale captures a temporary, situational feeling of powerlessness rather than a stable personality trait — the sense that other people or circumstances are controlling outcomes rather than the respondent themselves. Items ask about being overridden, ignored, or unable to influence what happens, making the scale well suited as a manipulation check in experiments that induce a loss of control.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• Others had a great deal of power over me.
• Even when I tried, I was not able to get my way.
• My ideas and opinions were ignored.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Source not stated by Beck, Rahinel, and Bleier (2020), who used the scale as a manipulation check with US MTurk adults. Reliability was good (α = .86). Validity wasn't separately discussed.

Citation

Beck, J.T., Rahinel, R., & Bleier, A. (2020). Company Worth Keeping: Personal Control and Preferences for Brand Leaders. Journal of Consumer Research, 46(5), 871–886.

Keywords