Measuring Your Locus: The Locus of Value Scale

BY NICOLE LAU

The Psychology of Internal Locus: Why Most Suffering is Optional

How do you know if you have internal or external locus of value? How do you measure where you are on the spectrum? The Locus of Value Scale is a self-assessment tool to help you understand your current locus and track your progress as you build internal locus.

This is not a test to pass or fail. It's a tool for self-awareness. Knowing where you are helps you choose where to go.

The Locus of Value Scale

Rate yourself on each statement from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Be honest - this is for you, not for anyone else.

Internal Locus Indicators (Score these as-is)

1. My worth doesn't depend on what others think of me.

2. I can fail at something without feeling like a failure as a person.

3. I feel valuable even when I'm not achieving anything.

4. I can receive criticism without my sense of self collapsing.

5. My mood doesn't fluctuate wildly based on others' approval.

6. I can be alone without feeling worthless.

7. I don't need constant reassurance that I'm okay.

8. I can make mistakes without feeling like I'm fundamentally flawed.

9. My worth feels stable, not constantly at risk.

10. I can rest without feeling guilty or worthless.

11. I can say no without feeling like I'm a bad person.

12. I feel inherently valuable, not conditionally valuable.

13. I can be rejected without feeling like I have no value.

14. I don't need to be perfect to feel okay about myself.

15. I can ask for help without feeling like I'm weak or worthless.

External Locus Indicators (Reverse score: 8 minus your rating)

16. I feel worthless when people don't approve of me.

17. My worth depends on my achievements.

18. I need constant validation to feel okay.

19. Criticism feels like an attack on my worth as a person.

20. I feel worthless when I'm not in a relationship.

21. I can't tolerate failure - it makes me feel like I'm worthless.

22. My mood depends entirely on how others respond to me.

23. I need to be the best to feel valuable.

24. I feel guilty resting because I'm not earning my worth.

25. I can't say no because people will think I'm bad.

26. I feel like I have to constantly prove my value.

27. Being alone makes me feel like I'm worthless.

28. I need to be perfect to feel okay about myself.

29. Asking for help makes me feel weak and worthless.

30. My worth feels constantly at risk, constantly conditional.

Scoring

Internal Locus Score: Add up your ratings for questions 1-15. (Range: 15-105)

External Locus Score: For questions 16-30, reverse score (8 minus your rating), then add them up. (Range: 15-105)

Total Locus Score: Add Internal Locus Score + External Locus Score. (Range: 30-210)

Interpretation

150-210: Strong Internal Locus

You have well-developed internal locus. Your worth feels inherent and stable. You can handle rejection, failure, criticism without experiencing the value vacuum. You're psychologically free in most areas. Continue practicing and deepening internal locus.

90-149: Mixed Locus

You have internal locus in some areas, external locus in others. Your worth is somewhat stable but still vulnerable to external feedback in certain domains. This is common and normal. Focus on identifying which areas are externally sourced and work on building internal locus there.

30-89: Strong External Locus

You have predominantly external locus. Your worth feels conditional and unstable. You likely experience the value vacuum frequently. This is painful, but it's also changeable. Understanding that you have external locus is the first step toward building internal locus.

Domain-Specific Assessment

Locus of value can vary by domain. You might have internal locus in one area and external locus in another. Assess each domain separately:

Achievement Domain

- Do you feel worthless when you fail?

- Does your worth depend on success?

- Can you rest without achieving?

Internal locus: Worth doesn't depend on achievement. Failure is disappointing but not existential.

External locus: Worth depends on success. Failure creates value vacuum.

Approval Domain

- Do you feel worthless when people don't like you?

- Does your worth depend on others' opinions?

- Can you handle criticism without collapsing?

Internal locus: Worth doesn't depend on approval. Criticism is information, not threat.

External locus: Worth depends on approval. Criticism creates value vacuum.

Relationship Domain

- Do you feel worthless when you're single?

- Does your worth depend on being in a relationship?

- Can you be alone without feeling worthless?

Internal locus: Worth doesn't depend on relationship status. Being alone is okay.

External locus: Worth depends on being chosen. Being alone creates value vacuum.

Appearance Domain

- Do you feel worthless when you don't look good?

- Does your worth depend on your appearance?

- Can you feel valuable regardless of how you look?

Internal locus: Worth doesn't depend on appearance. Looking good is nice but not necessary for worth.

External locus: Worth depends on appearance. Not looking good creates value vacuum.

Tracking Progress

Take this assessment periodically (monthly or quarterly) to track your progress as you build internal locus. You should see:

Internal Locus Score increasing: You're developing more stable, inherent sense of worth.

External Locus Score decreasing: You're less dependent on external validation for worth.

Total Score increasing: Overall locus is shifting from external to internal.

Progress is not linear. You'll have setbacks. That's normal. What matters is the overall trajectory over time.

Red Flags: When to Seek Professional Help

This scale is for self-awareness, not diagnosis. But certain patterns suggest you might benefit from professional support:

Severe external locus with depression: If you score very low (30-60) and are experiencing depression, therapy can help address both the external locus and the depression.

Trauma-based external locus: If your external locus is rooted in trauma (abuse, neglect, violence), trauma-specific therapy (EMDR, somatic therapy) may be needed.

Suicidal thoughts: If the value vacuum is creating suicidal thoughts, seek immediate professional help. This is serious and treatable.

Inability to function: If external locus is preventing you from functioning (can't work, can't maintain relationships, can't care for yourself), professional support is important.

Using the Scale for Growth

The scale is most useful when you use it for targeted growth:

1. Identify your weakest areas. Which questions did you score lowest on? Those are your growth edges.

2. Focus on one domain at a time. Don't try to build internal locus in all areas at once. Pick one domain (achievement, approval, relationships, appearance) and work on that.

3. Practice specific behaviors. For each low-scoring question, identify a specific practice. Example: If you scored low on "I can fail without feeling worthless," practice: Try something new where failure is likely, and practice processing failure without worthlessness.

4. Track changes over time. Retake the assessment monthly. Celebrate increases in internal locus scores. Investigate decreases (what happened? what can you learn?).

5. Be patient. Building internal locus takes time. Neuroplasticity requires repetition. You're rewiring patterns that have been reinforced for years or decades. Progress will be gradual.

Beyond the Numbers

The scale provides numbers, but the real value is in the self-awareness it creates. The questions themselves are teaching tools. They help you notice:

- When you're locating worth externally

- Which domains are most vulnerable

- What triggers the value vacuum

- Where you've made progress

- Where you still need work

Use the scale as a mirror, not a judgment. It shows you where you are, not what you're worth. Your worth is inherent - the scale just helps you recognize how much you're living from that truth.

The Bottom Line

The Locus of Value Scale is a tool for self-awareness and growth. It helps you measure where you are on the spectrum from external to internal locus. It helps you track progress as you build internal locus. It helps you identify specific areas for growth.

But remember: Your score doesn't determine your worth. Your worth is inherent, regardless of your locus. The scale just helps you see how much you're living from that truth.

Take the assessment. Be honest. Use it for growth, not judgment. Track your progress. Celebrate improvements. Be patient with setbacks. And remember: you're not trying to earn worth through building internal locus. You're recognizing worth that was always there.

This is the journey. This is the work. This is the path to psychological freedom.

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This concludes Part I: Core Concepts of The Psychology of Internal Locus series.

You now understand what internal locus is, why it matters, and how to measure it.

Next in the series: Part II will explore the core mechanisms of how external locus creates specific forms of suffering.

— Nicole Lau, 2026