Ascription of Responsibility Questionnaire (ARQ)

Abstract

The Ascription of Responsibility Questionnaire (ARQ) is a specialized personality assessment instrument designed to measure individual differences in the tendency to assign or attribute responsibility across various social, political, and personal domains. Developed by Hakstian, Suedfeld, Ballard, and Rank, the ARQ moves beyond simple locus of control models by differentiating between various targets and forms of responsibility attribution, such as personal action, societal structures, and external forces like fate or tradition. The scale consists of 40 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale, providing nuanced scores across four distinct factors of responsibility ascription.

Keywords

Ascription of Responsibility, Attribution Theory, Personality, Social Psychology, Causal Locus, Psychometrics, Responsibility Measurement

Authors

A.R. Hakstian, P. Suedfeld, E.J. Ballard, D.S. Rank

Purpose

The primary purpose of the ARQ is to quantify the psychological variable of Ascription of Responsibility. This concept describes the degree to which individuals believe that outcomes, actions, and consequences—both positive and negative—are attributable to personal agency, group efforts, traditional norms, or external, uncontrollable forces. The ARQ serves as a robust tool for researchers in social and personality psychology seeking to understand how these attribution patterns influence behavior, decision-making, and social attitudes.

Construct

The ARQ measures the complex construct of responsibility attribution, which is conceptualized as a multi-dimensional personality variable. Unlike simpler measures of generalized locus of control, the ARQ identifies four key dimensions of responsibility ascription, allowing for a detailed profile of how an individual perceives moral and causal responsibility. These dimensions, identified through factor analysis, include Traditional Focused Responsibility, Diffuse Responsibility, Exercised Responsibility, and Individual Focused Responsibility. The scale captures both the willingness to take personal responsibility and the tendency to assign it to external entities.

Validity

The validity of the Ascription of Responsibility Questionnaire has been established through empirical extensions and published studies demonstrating strong construct and criterion validity. Research has shown that the ARQ factors correlate meaningfully with other established measures of personality and social attitudes, such as political ideology, achievement orientation, and adherence to social norms. For instance, the factors of the ARQ have been shown to predict behavior in applied settings, confirming that the scale successfully measures the theoretical construct it was designed to assess. Initial development included rigorous item selection and subsequent validation studies to ensure reliable measurement across diverse populations.

Reliability

The reliability of the ARQ is generally considered strong, based on the findings reported in the foundational psychometric evaluation studies. Internal consistency, typically measured using Cronbach’s alpha, was demonstrated to be acceptable to good across the four subscales, indicating that the items within each factor measure the same underlying dimension consistently. Furthermore, test-retest reliability studies have confirmed the stability of the responsibility dimensions over time, suggesting that the ARQ measures relatively enduring personality traits rather than transient states.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis played a critical role in the development and validation of the ARQ, resulting in the identification of four orthogonal factors of responsibility ascription. These factors structure the scale and provide the basis for scoring:

• Traditional Focused Responsibility: Reflects the belief that responsibility should be ascribed based on established social norms, hierarchical structures (e.g., parents, church), and punitive systems.
• Diffuse Responsibility: Represents the tendency to assign responsibility externally, often to fate, supernatural forces, or large societal groups (e.g., the state or other countries).
• Exercised Responsibility: Measures the individual’s actual involvement and enjoyment in taking charge, leading groups, and fulfilling personal duties in real-life settings.
• Individual Focused Responsibility: Captures the belief in personal agency, meritocracy, and the idea that every sane individual is responsible for their own actions and outcomes.

Instrument

Test Type: Personality Assessment, Questionnaire

Format: Self-report, 40 items

Language Available: English (Primary developmental language)

Population Group: General population, primarily tested on university students and adults.

Age Group: Adolescents (late) and Adults

Population Details: Originally validated using samples of university students, though applicable for broader adult populations interested in social and political attitudes.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their level of agreement with each statement using a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (Disagree strongly) to 7 (Agree strongly).

Keywords

Attribution, Locus of Control, Social Attitudes, Responsibility, Personality Traits, Psychometric Testing, Applied Social Psychology

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source material.

Correspondence Address: Requires consultation of primary 1985/1986 publications.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: Initial development and publication occurred in 1985 and 1986.

Permissions: Permissions for use typically reside with the copyright holders (the authors and the publishing journal, Journal of Personality Assessment or Journal of Applied Social Psychology). Commercial use may require a fee, while academic research may qualify for free use upon request to the authors.

Fee: Not specified. Requires direct contact with the authors or authorized distributors.

Note on Source Material: The original source provided a link that stated the instrument could be found there; however, the link points to an article on “The Body Appreciation Scale.” The original reference provided in the source material is: The Body Appreciation Scale: Development and psychometric evaluation.

Reference’s

Hakstian‚ A.R.‚ Suedfeld‚ P.‚ Ballard‚ E.J.‚ & Rank‚ D.S. (1986). The Ascription of Responsibility Questionnaire: Development and empirical extensions. Journal of Personality Assessment 50‚ 229-247.

Suedfeld‚ P.‚ Hakstian‚ A. R.‚ Rank‚ D. S. and Ballard‚ E. J. (1985). “Ascription of Responsibility as a Personality Variable.” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 15 (3): 285-311.

Kelly‚ Justine Elizabeth. (2014). waist-to-hip ratio and IQ. University of Dayton. Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology Thesis.

Items of the Ascription of Responsibility Questionnaire (ARQ)

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

1. I have always respected my parents highly.
2. Fate plays an important role in our lives.
3. I have a lot of responsibility in my present job and extracurricular activities.
4. Most people on welfare are lazy.
5. I attended church often as a child.
6. All old people should get a pension.
7. Ability should be rewarded.
8. The state is responsible for the well-being of its citizens.
9. I enjoy taking charge of things.
10. Good behavior should be rewarded‚ bad behavior punished.
11. As a student‚ I would feel students should have a say in which professors receive tenure.
12. I prefer following rather than leading.
13. Every sane individual is responsible for his every action.
14. My family and I are very close.
15. Our country should take the first step toward world disarmament.
16. I often make suggestions.
17. Robbery with violence should be severely punished.
18. My parents were always willing to give me advice on things that were important to me.
19. Students should decide how they want their teachers to evaluate their knowledge of the course.
20. I was given a lot of responsibility as a child.
21. Your personality is what you make it.
22. Pornography should be censored to protect the innocent.
23. As a student‚ I would feel that what I study should be left completely up to me.
24. I have often been a group leader.
25. Society should reward only merit.
26. Human destiny is ordained by a Supreme Being.
27. When a country has done its utmost‚ but does not have the resources to maintain itself‚ it is the responsibility of other countries to come to its aid.
28. Justice is better than mercy.
29. People can be controlled by supernatural forces.
30. As a teacher I would feel it is my job to make sure none of my students fails my course.
31. I enjoyed going to church.
32. If a child insists on having a pet‚ he should be responsible for its care.
33. Heaven is the reward for those who have followed the precepts of their belief.
34. All decisions should be made by groups.
35. Parents should not financially support offspring who could make a living for themselves.
36. Students should have equal representation at all levels of school administration concerning any policy.
37. Society does not owe you a living.
38. Students should be responsible for the evaluation and firing of teachers.
39. My parents attended church often when I was a child.
40. I have held many positions of responsibility in the past in my job(s) and extracurricular activities.