LOCUS OF CONTROL ORIENTATION AND LEVEL - Drake University

domain of the acute pain experience. The following section makes
recommendations for further research.
Limitations
One limitation of the study may have been the use of a pain scale
administered by a large number of nurses. Although the administration of the
pain scale was guided according to an established protocol, it is possible that the
nurses did not consistently follow the protocol. Ketovuoti (1987) studies
nurses' and patients' conceptions of postoperative wound pain and determined
that a bias did exist among nurses based on factors such as whether the nurse
had undergone surgery and the years of nursing experience. Ketovuori found
differences in the nurses' interpretation of patients' reports of pain evidenced by
the amount and frequency of analgesic delivered. The present study did not
control for this type of a bias.
This study may also be limited by its use of self-report measures that are
susceptible to numerous possible distortions. The Multidimensional Health
Locus of Control (MHLC) scales are self-report scales. Several phone calls and
lettered were received by the investigator from subjects indicating a need to
exgain their answers. Perhaps the questions were not clear for all subjects. It
may be advisable that future investigators administer the MHLC scales in
person.
The use of the MHLC scales may also be a limitation to the study due to
its general nature. It is possible that this scale designed to measure control and
health beliefs may not be specific enough to predict pZih-relatcd contml issues.