A Psychometric Review of Instruments for Social Justice and Advocacy Attitudes

Abstract

The authors review instruments measuring social justice and advocacy. A review of the literature revealed four scales that met inclusion criteria. The Activism Orientation Scale (AOS), Social Issues Advocacy Scale (SIAS), Social Issues Questionnaire (SIQ), and the Social Justice Scale (SJS) are evaluated in terms of item development, psychometric properties, and practical utility. Each instrument was evaluated on item development, reliability (internal consistency, test-retest reliability), and evidence for validity (in terms of content, internal structure, and relationship with other variables). In general, all of the instruments lacked adequate levels of psychometric evidence in test-retest reliability, validation on more diverse samples, and use of more robust confirmatory methods (e.g., confirmatory factor analysis). Recommendations and future directions for research are discussed.