Description

The SFPS-6 scale consists of six carefully selected items from the original F-scale (developed by Adorno et al. in 1950), which was used to measure authoritarianism. These items were chosen based on their high loadings on the authoritarian factor and their relevance to contemporary political attitudes. The SFPS-6 is particularly useful in large-scale surveys where brevity is crucial, such as public opinion polls, election studies, and political behavior research.

Data Analysis

Data from the SFPS-6 can be analyzed using standard psychometric techniques to ensure the scale’s reliability and validity. Typically, this involves calculating Cronbach’s alpha to assess internal consistency and conducting factor analysis to confirm that the six items adequately represent a single underlying construct. The scale is also subjected to tests of convergent and discriminant validity, correlating it with other related constructs like political conservatism, social dominance orientation, and prejudice.

Objective

The Shortened F for Political Surveys (SFPS-6) is a condensed version of a broader psychological scale used to assess authoritarian attitudes in political surveys. The SFPS-6 is designed for contexts where time and space are limited, providing a quick yet reliable measure of authoritarian tendencies among respondents.

Calibration

The calibration of the SFPS-6 involves administering the scale to a sample population and adjusting the scoring system to ensure that it accurately reflects the underlying authoritarian construct. Calibration ensures that the SFPS-6 can be applied across different demographic groups and in various cultural contexts without losing its predictive power.

Application

Researchers and political analysts use SFPS-6 data to examine the prevalence of authoritarian attitudes in different populations, track changes over time, and explore the relationship between authoritarianism and political outcomes such as voting behavior, policy preferences, and party affiliation. The scale’s brevity makes it particularly advantageous in cross-national surveys, where respondent fatigue and varying literacy levels can impact the quality of data collected.

References

Adorno, T. W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. J., & Sanford, R. N. (1950). The Authoritarian Personality. New York: Harper & Brothers.
Altemeyer, B. (1981). Right-Wing Authoritarianism. University of Manitoba Press.
Duckitt, J. (2013). “Introduction to Special Issue on Authoritarianism in Political Psychology.” Political Psychology, 34(1), 1-9.
Feldman, S. (2003). “Enforcing Social Conformity: A Theory of Authoritarianism.” Political Psychology, 24(1), 41-74.
Stenner, K. (2005). The Authoritarian Dynamic. Cambridge University Press.