Scale Analysis

The New F-Scale of Authoritarianism is a psychometric tool designed to measure authoritarian tendencies in individuals’ perceptions and behaviors. It consists of statements that reflect beliefs in strong leadership, the need for strict adherence to rules, the value of tradition, and punishment for deviant behaviors. The scale also examines resistance to new ideas and divergent opinions. Participants are asked to evaluate each statement using a five-point Likert scale, where 1 represents “Strongly Agree” and 5 represents “Strongly Disagree.” This allows researchers to quantify individuals’ authoritarian tendencies, providing an overall score that reflects the degree of authoritarianism.

Scale Objective

The aim of this scale is to assess and measure authoritarian tendencies in individuals’ perceptions and behaviors. Specifically, it seeks to understand how strong the belief is in strict rule-following, the need for strong leadership, punishment for deviant behaviors, and resistance to new ideas and divergent opinions. By employing a five-point Likert scale, researchers can quantify these tendencies and identify levels of authoritarianism across different individuals or groups. The ultimate goal is to understand how authoritarian tendencies influence social and political behavior, to investigate their causes, and to compare these traits across different populations and cultural groups. This understanding may contribute to the development of strategies to address the negative impacts of authoritarianism in society.

Scale Calibration

The ANFAS-15 scale consists of 15 items, which are rated as follows:
Correct
Wrong

References

Adorno, T.W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D.J., & Sanford, R.N. (1950). The Authoritarian Personality. New York: Harper.
Webster, H., Sanford, N., & Freeman, M. (1955). A new instrument for studying authoritarianism in personality. Journal of Psychology, 40, 73–85.
Robinson, John P., & Shaver, Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.