An Authority Behavior Inventory.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Assessing an individual's acceptance of authority is crucial in understanding social dynamics and institutional behavior.
• Existing measures may lack comprehensive validation or applicability across diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable and valid instrument, the Authority Behavior Inventory (ABI), for measuring acceptance of authority.
• To ensure the ABI's psychometric properties are robust across different demographic and attitudinal groups.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 24-item self-report Authority Behavior Inventory (ABI).
• Validation through correlation with peer ratings and the General Attitude Towards Institutional Authority Scale.
• Assessment of concurrent validity using student and nonstudent samples, including independent rater assessments.
• Testing discriminant validity by comparing groups with known differences in attitudes toward authority and political conservatism.

Main Results:

• All 24 ABI items showed significant correlations with corresponding peer ratings.
• The ABI exhibited high internal consistency and concurrent validity in two independent studies (n=200, n=150).
• The ABI successfully discriminated between groups with differing attitudes toward authority and political leanings.

Conclusions:

• The Authority Behavior Inventory (ABI) is a psychometrically sound tool for assessing acceptance of authority.
• The ABI's validity is supported by its correlation with peer ratings, established scales, and its ability to differentiate between relevant groups.
• This inventory provides a valuable measure for researchers studying attitudes toward authority in various contexts.