Revised Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale (GENE)

Abstract

The Revised Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale (GENE) is a widely utilized psychological scale designed to measure an individual’s generalized tendency toward ethnocentrism. Developed by Neuliep and McCroskey (1997), the GENE scale was created to offer a culture-neutral assessment tool that addresses limitations found in earlier measures, which often focused on specific national or cultural contexts (such as the United States). The scale assesses the degree to which an individual views their own culture as superior to all other cultures, thereby generalizing this bias across various out-groups. The final scored version typically utilizes a subset of items demonstrating high reliability and validity in intercultural communication research.

Keywords

Ethnocentrism, Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale, GENE, Intercultural communication, Cross-cultural psychology, In-group bias, Out-group rejection, Psychological scale, Cultural superiority.

Authors

James W. Neuliep, James C. McCroskey.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Revised Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale (GENE) is to provide a reliable and valid measure of the global concept of ethnocentrism. Unlike measures tied to specific nationalities (such as the United States Ethnocentrism Scale, USE, also developed by the authors), the GENE scale uses culture-neutral language—referencing “my country” or “my culture”—allowing it to be administered successfully across diverse populations globally.

The scale aims to quantify the degree to which an individual applies a generalized perspective of cultural superiority, judging all other cultures against the standards of their own. This generalized measure is crucial for predicting and understanding behavior in various cross-cultural settings, including international relations, organizational behavior, and communication studies. The original instrument contained multiple items which were later refined through statistical analysis to yield a more concise and robust 15-item composite score, enhancing its practical utility.

Construct

The GENE scale measures Ethnocentrism, which is defined as the belief that one’s own culture is superior to all others and is the standard by which all other cultures should be measured. This psychological construct is characterized by two key components: a strong sense of loyalty and preference for the in-group (cultural affiliation) and a corresponding tendency to reject, disparage, or misunderstand out-groups (other cultures).

The scale items reflect various facets of this construct, including beliefs about cultural backwardness, the desire for other cultures to emulate the in-group, skepticism toward out-group values, and the perceived superiority of the in-group’s lifestyle. The generalized nature of the scale ensures that the measured construct reflects a stable personal disposition rather than a temporary reaction to a specific foreign culture.

Validity

The validity of the GENE scale has been assessed in subsequent research, most notably by Neuliep (2002). This research established strong evidence for the scale’s construct validity, demonstrating that it accurately measures the theoretical concept of generalized ethnocentrism. The scale typically shows inverse correlations with measures of cultural empathy, openness to experience, and willingness to communicate with out-group members, providing evidence of discriminant validity.

Furthermore, studies often confirm the scale’s predictive validity, showing that higher GENE scores are associated with negative attitudes, increased communication apprehension, and reduced effectiveness in intercultural communication contexts. The revision process involved removing items that demonstrated poor correlation with the overall construct, ensuring that the remaining items contribute meaningfully to the measurement of generalized ethnocentric tendencies.

Reliability

The reliability of the GENE scale is consistently reported as high across various studies and populations. Neuliep (2002) specifically examined the internal consistency of the scale, reporting robust Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, generally falling in the range of 0.85 to 0.92 for the final 15-item version. Such high internal consistency indicates that the items within the scale measure the underlying construct of ethnocentrism coherently and consistently.

The stability of the measure over time (test-retest reliability) has also been supported in communication research, confirming that the GENE scale captures a relatively enduring dispositional trait related to cultural bias. The consistent statistical performance of the scale across different samples underscores its utility as a standardized metric in cross-cultural psychology and communication research.

Factor Analysis

Initial factor analysis conducted during the development phase (Neuliep & McCroskey, 1997) aimed to confirm the unidimensional nature of the ethnocentrism construct as measured by the GENE scale. While some studies have explored potential sub-dimensions (such as cultural superiority vs. willingness to interact), the scale is generally treated as unidimensional, yielding a single composite score representing the overall level of generalized ethnocentrism.

The refinement process, which led to the 15-item scoring protocol, was informed by factor loadings and item analysis, ensuring that all retained items contribute significantly to the primary factor. This statistical evidence supports the calculation of a single, summated score for research and diagnostic purposes.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological scale

Format: 5-point Likert scale (ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree)

Language Available: Primarily English, but designed to be easily adapted and translated due to its culture-neutral wording.

Population Group: General population; extensively used in student samples and cross-cultural studies.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 18+).

Population Details: Applicable to individuals from any national or cultural background where the terms “my country” or “my culture” are relevant.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement with each statement. The instrument initially contains 21 items, but a final composite score is calculated using 15 selected items after specific items are reverse-coded or dropped, resulting in a score range typically between 15 and 75.

Keywords

Psychometrics, Communication research, Cultural bias, Likert scale, Measurement tool, Cross-cultural communication, Social psychology.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: Initial development and publication in 1997 (Neuliep & McCroskey); subsequent reliability and validity assessment in 2002 (Neuliep).

Permissions: The instrument is often available for non-commercial academic use. The scale and related information are publicly accessible via the original author’s associated professional website, as noted below.

Fee: Generally available without charge for academic research purposes.

Reference’s

The instrument can be found at: http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/ethnocentrism_scale.htm

• Neuliep, J. W. (2002). Assessing the Reliability and Validity of the Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 31, 201-215.
• Neuliep, J. W., & McCroskey, J. C. (1997). The development of a U. S. and generalized ethnocentrism scale. Communication Research Reports, 14, 385-398.

Items of the Revised Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale (GENE)

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

The scale uses a 5-point Likert scale where:

Strongly Disagree = 1; Disagree = 2; Neutral = 3; Agree = 4; Strongly Agree = 5;

The full set of Generalized Ethnocentrism (GENE) Scale items:

1. Other countries should model themselves after my country.
2. People in my country have just about the best lifestyles of anywhere else.
3. My country should be the role model of the world.
4. Most other countries are backward in comparison with my country.
5. Most people would be happier if they lived like people in my country.
6. My country is a poor example of how to run a country.
7. My country is a poor role model for other countries.
8. Lifestyles in other countries are just a valid as in my country.
9. Countries are smart to look up to my country.
10. Life in my country is much better than most other places.
11. People in my country could learn a lot from people of other countries.
12. Countries really should not use my country as a role model.
13. A lot of other countries are primitive compared to my country.
14. I enjoy learning about the customs and values of other countries.
15. Although different, most countries have equally valid value systems.
16. I’m not interested in the values and customs of other countries.
17. Many other countries have really strange and unusual customs as compared to mine.
18. People from other countries act strange and unusual when they come into my country.
19. People should respect the values of customs of other countries.
20. I have little respect for the values and customs of other countries.
21. Most people from other cultures just don’t know what is good for them.

Scoring Instructions (for 15-item composite score):

Recode questions 4, 7, & 9 (Reverse Scoring is implied for these items based on typical scale construction, although the source only states “Recode”).

Drop questions 3, 6, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19.

After you have recoded the previous questions, add all of the responses to the remaining 15 items together to get your composite ethnocentrism score.