Scale Analysis

The Explanations of Unemployment Scale [EoU-R] was developed in 2014 by Mylonas and Furnham as the revised version of the original EoU scale on unemployment. Based on explanations of unemployment as beliefs or specific theories, it follows the conceptual framework first described by Furnham (1982), which includes three dimensions: individualistic, societal-educational, and fatalistic.

Purpose

The Explanations of Unemployment scale was created to examine the beliefs held by non-specialists, employed, and unemployed individuals regarding the causes of unemployment, using Furnham’s theoretical terms. While the early version of the scale focused on physical deprivation and hardship due to unemployment, the revised version expanded to include psychological aspects. The updated explanations are suitable for cross-cultural use and intranational comparisons and can be useful in counseling settings.

Item Scoring

The revised unemployment scale (EoU-R) consists of 19 items, rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (“very important reason”) to 7 (“unimportant reason”). The theoretical structure includes three main dimensions:

Individualistic

Societal-Educational

Fatalistic

Statistical Analysis

According to the research by Mylonas and Furnham, the composite scores for the EoU-R dimensions were compared across countries, genders, and employment status groups. The most significant differences between countries were found for the individualistic factor. It was also found that women were more likely than men to explain unemployment in socio-educational terms, and several notable interactions emerged.

Validity and Reliability

Research indicated that internal consistency estimates were within acceptable ranges. Cronbach’s alpha scores ranged from 0.69 to 0.84 across the three factors. The EoU-R was first translated into the language of each participating country and then back-translated by national coordinators to ensure minimal linguistic interference. It has been translated and adapted into Greek by Mylonas and his team.

References

Authors: Mylonas K. & Furnham A.
Greek Translation: Mylonas K.
Keywords: Explanations of Unemployment, EoU-R-19, Unemployment, Furnham’s Theory, Scale Analysis