Measuring Preferences for Hierarchical Control: An Attitude Scale for Contemporary Times
A concern for understanding patterns of social control in contemporary society led to the development of an attitude scale measuring preferences for Hierarchical Control (ns = 473, 510). The scale distinguished situations where decisions were associated with those having power or authority from situations where decisions were made by people most affected by the decision, regardless of status. Statistical characteristics of the 34-item forced-choice questionnaire included (1) moderately high item-total score correlations, (2) a wide distribution of scores, and (3) reliabilities of approximately .80. The scale did not duplicate the I-E Scale, Dogmatism, or the control subscales of FIRO-B, not was it significantly related to social desirability. Data from police officers, army enlisted men, and teachers with differing educational approaches supported the validity of the scale.