Short Dogmatism Scale – Schulze

Abstract

The Short Dogmatism Scale (Schulze, 1962) is a concise 10-item instrument developed as an abbreviation of Milton Rokeach’s comprehensive Dogmatism Scale (D-Scale). This scale is designed to measure the general authoritarian personality structure, specifically focusing on the degree of openness or closedness of an individual’s belief system. It assesses rigid, defensive cognitive styles and intolerance toward conflicting ideas, offering a quick and efficient measure for research contexts where the full Rokeach scale might be impractical.

Keywords

Dogmatism, Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, psychological attitudes, belief system, authoritarianism, open mind, closed mind, psychometrics.

Authors

R.H.K. Schulze.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the Short Dogmatism Scale – Schulze is to provide a brief yet reliable measure of generalized dogmatism. Developed in 1962, this scale aimed to address the length and administration time constraints associated with the original Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, which typically contains 40 items. Schulze sought to maintain the core psychometric properties while reducing respondent burden, thus facilitating its use in large-scale social and political attitude surveys.

The scale is utilized in various research fields, including social psychology and political science, to understand how closed belief systems correlate with other variables such as prejudice, political affiliation, and resistance to change. It quantifies the extent to which an individual relies on external authority or exhibits an inability to tolerate ambiguity and conflicting viewpoints.

Construct

The underlying psychological construct measured by this instrument is dogmatism. As conceptualized by Milton Rokeach, dogmatism is defined as a relatively closed cognitive organization of beliefs and disbeliefs about reality, organized around a central set of beliefs about absolute authority, providing a framework for patterns of intolerance and defense mechanisms. It is distinct from generalized conservatism or political extremism, as it focuses on the structure of the belief system rather than the content.

The 10 items selected by Schulze specifically target aspects of the closed mind, including reliance on authority figures (Item 8), intolerance of dissent (Item 7), perceived loneliness and isolation (Item 1), and adherence to rigid social norms (Item 3).

Validity

While Schulze’s original 1962 article detailed the development of the shortened version, subsequent research, notably compiled by Robinson and Shaver (1969), has examined the scale’s validity. The scale exhibits strong concurrent validity, correlating highly with scores on the original 40-item Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, confirming its status as a viable abbreviated measure.

Construct validity is generally supported by its negative correlation with measures of cognitive flexibility and positive correlation with measures of authoritarianism and ethnocentrism. However, some researchers note that shortened versions may sometimes lose the multidimensional complexity present in the full scale, suggesting that careful interpretation regarding specific sub-dimensions of dogmatism is necessary.

Reliability

The reliability of the Short Dogmatism Scale has been assessed primarily through measures of internal consistency. Studies utilizing this 10-item adaptation typically report acceptable levels of internal consistency, often measured using Cronbach’s alpha, demonstrating that the items cohere to measure a single underlying construct.

Test-retest reliability has generally shown stability over short periods, indicating that the measure of dogmatism, as captured by these 10 items, is relatively stable across time for adult populations. Researchers often prefer the 7-point response format for maximizing variance and potentially increasing reliability coefficients.

Factor Analysis

The original goal in developing the shortened version was to create a highly efficient, unidimensional measure of generalized dogmatism. Early factor analysis of the 10 items indicated a strong primary factor, supporting the use of a single total score to represent the closedness of the belief system. This factor structure is crucial for confirming that the shortened scale effectively captures the central, overarching characteristic of dogmatism as intended by Rokeach.

Subsequent factor analytic studies have sometimes explored whether sub-factors (e.g., intolerance, authority dependence) might emerge, but for practical application, the Schulze scale is overwhelmingly treated as a unidimensional instrument suitable for rapid screening or inclusion in larger batteries of tests.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological attitudes measure

Format: 10 items, typically utilizing a 6-point or 7-point Likert-type response scale.

Language Available: Primarily English (original version), though translations exist for cross-cultural studies.

Population Group: General adult population and college students.

Age Group: Adolescents (16+) and adults.

Population Details: Used extensively in social psychology research, particularly in studies concerning personality, politics, and social conformity.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement. Scoring involves summing or averaging item responses, often with reverse scoring applied to maintain consistency with the dogmatism construct.

Keywords

Dogmatism, Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, psychological attitudes, belief system, authoritarianism, open mind, closed mind, psychometrics.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not publicly available for R.H.K. Schulze, 1962)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was first published in 1962 by R.H.K. Schulze. Since it is a widely cited and utilized adaptation of the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, and given its age, it is generally considered to be in the public domain for non-commercial academic research use. Researchers should, however, consult the original source materials for specific usage permissions. The original PDF containing this instrument can be downloaded here: https://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/infoserv/isrpub/pdf/Measuresofsocialpsychologicalattitudes_2928_.PDF

Reference’s

The development and documentation of the Short Dogmatism Scale rely on the following key publications:

• Rokeach, M. (1960). The open and closed mind. New York: Basic Books.
• Schulze, R.H.K., (1962). A shortened version of the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale. Journal of Psychological Studies, 13, 93-97.
• Robinson, John P., Shaver, Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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Items of the Short Dogmatism Scale – Schulze

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

1. Fundamentally, the world we live in is a pretty lonely place.
2. It is often desirable to reserve judgment about what’s going on until one has had a chance to hear the opinions of those one respects.
3. A person who thinks primarily of his own happiness is beneath contempt.
4. In the history of mankind there have probably been just a handful of really great thinkers.
5. Most people just don’t know what’s good for them.
6. Once I get wound up in a heated discussion I just can’t stop.
7. The worst crime a person can commit is to attack publicly the people who believe in the same thing he does.
8. In this complicated world of ours the only way we can know what is going on is to rely upon leaders or experts who can be trusted.
9. In the long run the best way to live is to pick friends and associates whose tastes and beliefs are the same as one’s own.
10. While I don’t like to admit this even to myself, I sometimes have the ambition to become a great man, like Einstein, or Beethoven, or Shakespeare. [my secret ambition is to become a great person like Einstein, Beethoven or Shakespeare]

Response Options commonly used:

• I agree very much, I agree on the whole, I agree a little, I disagree a little, I disagree on the whole, and I disagree very much (6-point scale).
• Or: 1=Strongly agree, 2=Agree, 3=Slightly agree, 4=Neither agree nor disagree, 5=Slightly disagree, 6=Disagree, 7=Strongly disagree (7-point Likert Scale).