Scale Description

The Fascist Attitudes Scale (FAS-50) is a psychometric tool designed to assess attitudes and beliefs associated with fascist ideologies and behaviors. The FAS-50 includes 50 questions that examine various aspects of fascist beliefs, such as authoritarianism, nationalism, rejection of democracy, and support for political violence. The scale’s questions are based on a Likert scale, where participants rate their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement.

Data Analysis and Usage

Data analysis from the FAS-50 is conducted using quantitative techniques to understand participants’ perceptions regarding fascist ideologies. The analysis process typically includes:

Descriptive Statistics:Means and Standard Deviations: Calculation of the means and standard deviations for each question or subscale.

Reliability: Assessment of the internal consistency of the scale using Cronbach’s alpha to determine the reliability of the results.

Correlations:Examination of correlations between scores on different questions or subscales to identify relationships between the different aspects of fascist attitudes.

Factor Analysis:Application of factor analyses to identify the key factors that shape fascist attitudes, if deemed necessary.

Purpose

The primary goal of the FAS-50 is to provide a reliable and valid tool for assessing fascist attitudes and behaviors in populations. The tool can be used for:

Research Purposes: Studying the prevalence and causes of fascist attitudes in various populations.

Sociological and Psychological Research: Understanding the social and psychological factors that contribute to the development of fascist ideologies.

Educational and Political Purposes: Using the results to develop educational programs or policies aimed at reducing fascism and authoritarianism.

Calibration

The calibration of the FAS-50 involves evaluating the validity and reliability of the tool:

Internal Consistency Assessment: Use of Cronbach’s alpha to calculate the internal consistency of the scale and the stability of responses.

Comparative Analysis: Comparison of the data with other scales of fascist or authoritarian attitudes to confirm the validity of the FAS-50.

References

Adorno, T. W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. J., & Sanford, R. N. (1950). The Authoritarian Personality. Harper & Row.

Altemeyer, B. (1981). Right-Wing Authoritarianism. University of Manitoba Press.

Rokeach, M. (1960). The Open and Closed Mind: Investigations into the Nature of Belief Systems and Personality Systems. Basic Books.