Sense of Community Index 2 (SCI-2)

Abstract

The Sense of Community Index 2 (SCI-2) is a revised and enhanced psychometric instrument developed by Peterson et al. (2008) to measure the Sense of Community (SoC) construct. This construct, originally theorized by McMillan and Chavis in 1986, is foundational to Community Psychology. The SCI-2 aims to improve upon the original SCI by providing a more robust and reliable measure of the four core dimensions of SoC: Membership, Influence, Reinforcement of Needs, and Shared Emotional Connection. It utilizes a multi-item, self-report format, allowing researchers and practitioners to quantitatively assess the degree of psychological sense of belonging experienced by individuals within a specified community context.

Keywords

Sense of Community Index 2, SCI-2, Sense of Community, Community Psychology, Psychological Sense of Belonging, Reinforcement of Needs, Influence, Shared Emotional Connection, Community Measurement, Social Cohesion.

Authors

Peterson et al. (2008); based on the theoretical work of David W. McMillan and David M. Chavis. The specific reliability and validity study for the SCI-2 was presented by Chavis, Lee, and Acosta in 2008.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sense of Community Index 2 (SCI-2) is to provide a standardized, empirically validated method for quantifying an individual’s perceived connection and integration within a defined community unit. As a revision of the original SCI, the SCI-2 was specifically designed to enhance the psychometric properties, particularly the factor structure and internal consistency, ensuring better differentiation between the four theoretical dimensions of SoC.

This instrument is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of community interventions, assessing the impact of social change, and conducting research into the determinants and consequences of community engagement across various settings, including neighborhoods, organizations, and online groups.

Construct

The SCI-2 measures the four primary elements of the Sense of Community construct as defined by McMillan and Chavis (1986):

• Membership: This includes feelings of belonging, personal investment, boundary maintenance, and emotional safety within the community. Items address personal identity linked to the community and recognition among members.
• Influence: The perceived ability of members to affect the community and the degree to which the community influences its members. This involves mutual influence and the perceived success of community leadership and problem-solving.
• Reinforcement of Needs: The belief that members’ needs will be met by being part of the community, including shared values, resource exchange, and the success of the community in meeting collective needs.
• Shared Emotional Connection: The quality and history of shared events, interactions, and emotional investment, including a sense of hope for the community’s future and the expectation of long-term involvement.

Validity

The development of the SCI-2 focused heavily on establishing improved construct and discriminant validity compared to its predecessor. The 2008 presentation by Chavis, Lee, and Acosta specifically addressed the revised scale’s validity, aiming to ensure that the 24 items load cleanly onto the four hypothesized factors, thereby confirming the underlying theoretical structure of the Sense of Community model.

Enhanced validity also stems from the careful refinement of item wording to reduce ambiguity and overlap between dimensions, allowing researchers to draw more precise conclusions regarding which specific component of SoC is most salient in a given context.

Reliability

Reliability testing, including internal consistency measures (such as Cronbach’s alpha), was a core component of the SCI-2 revision process. The developers sought to demonstrate higher and more consistent reliability coefficients for the SCI-2 subscales than those observed in the original SCI.

High internal consistency ensures that the items intended to measure a single dimension (e.g., Membership) are highly correlated with one another, providing a stable and trustworthy measure of that specific factor. The goal of the SCI-2 was to provide reliable scores for both the overall SoC construct and its four distinct subscales.

Factor Analysis

The SCI-2 is structured based on a four-factor model derived from confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) conducted during its development. The four factors correspond directly to the theoretical components: Reinforcement of Needs, Membership, Influence, and Shared Emotional Connection.

The factor analysis was crucial for confirming that the revised 24-item structure adequately represents the theoretical model and that the items exhibit strong loadings on their intended factors while maintaining adequate distinction (discriminant validity) from items belonging to other factors. This clear factor structure is a defining feature that differentiates the SCI-2 from the original SCI.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire

Format: Multi-item scale utilizing a Likert scale response format.

Language Available: Primarily English (translations may exist but are not specified in the source material).

Population Group: Individuals identifying as members of any defined community (e.g., geographical, organizational, virtual).

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 16+ capable of abstract self-reflection).

Population Details: Applicable to diverse community settings where a psychological sense of belonging is relevant.

Test Methodology: Quantitative assessment. Respondents rate their agreement or endorsement of statements related to their community experience. The primary response scale for the 24 items is a 4-point scale ranging from “Not at All” (0) to “Completely” (3). An initial item assessing importance uses a separate 6-point scale.

Keywords

Psychometric Scale, Social Connection, Community Development, Reinforcement of Needs, Influence, Shared Emotional Connection, McMillan and Chavis Model, SCI-2.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is typically handled through Community Science. (Address not provided in source content.)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Sense of Community Index 2 (SCI-2) was published in 2008 following its presentation at the 2nd International Community Psychology Conference in Lisboa, Portugal. For specific permissions regarding use in research or applied settings, researchers should contact the listed author email address. The instrument itself is often made available for non-commercial research purposes.

The full instrument and supporting materials can be accessed online. The original PDF for the instrument can be downloaded here: http://www.communityscience.com/pdfs/Sense%20of%20Community%20Index-2(SCI-2)

Reference’s

• McMillan, D.W., & Chavis, D.M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 6–23.
• Chavis, D.M., Hogge, J.H., McMillan, D.W., & Wandersman, A. (1986). Sense of community through Brunswick’s lens: A first look. Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 24-40.
• Chavis, D.M., & Pretty, G. (1999). Sense of community: Advances in measurement and application. Journal of Community Psychology, 27(6), 635-642.
• Chavis, D.M., Lee, K.S., & Acosta J.D. (2008). The Sense of Community (SCI) Revised: The Reliability and Validity of the SCI-2. Paper presented at the 2nd International Community Psychology Conference, Lisboa, Portugal.

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Items of the Sense of Community Index 2 (SCI-2)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

How important is it to you to feel a sense of community with other community members?

1=Prefer Not to be Part of This Community, 2= Not Important at All, 3= Not Very Important, 4= Somewhat Important, 5= Important, 6= Very Important

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Not at All, Somewhat, Mostly, Completely

1. I get important needs of mine met because I am part of this community.
2. Community members and I value the same things.
3. This community has been successful in getting the needs of its members met.
4. Being a member of this community makes me feel good.
5. When I have a problem, I can talk about it with members of this community.
6. People in this community have similar needs, priorities, and goals.
7. I can trust people in this community.
8. I can recognize most of the members of this community.
9. Most community members know me.
10. This community has symbols and expressions of membership such as clothes, signs, art, architecture, logos, landmarks, and flags that people can recognize.
11. I put a lot of time and effort into being part of this community.
12. Being a member of this community is a part of my identity.
13. Fitting into this community is important to me.
14. This community can influence other communities.
15. I care about what other community members think of me. 16. I have influence over what this community is like.
16. If there is a problem in this community, members can get it solved.
17. This community has good leaders.
18. It is very important to me to be a part of this community.
19. I am with other community members a lot and enjoy being with them.
20. I expect to be a part of this community for a long time.
21. Members of this community have shared important events together, such as holidays, celebrations, or disasters.
22. I feel hopeful about the future of this community.
23. Members of this community care about each other.

Reinforcement of Needs, Membership, Influence, Shared Emotional Connection

For the 24 questions: Not at All = 0, Somewhat = 1, Mostly = 2, Completely = 3

Reinforcement of Needs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6); Membership (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12); Influence (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18); Shared Emotional Connection (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)