Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of SDO₇ Scale in India

Social dominance orientation (SDO) is the generalized preference for hierarchy across groups. It is currently measured through the two-dimensional (i.e., physical dominance and anti-egalitarianism) SDO₇ scale. However, a complete testing of its factor structure across varied populations is highly required. A caste-based society perhaps reflects a stronger socio-cultural expression of social dominance theory. In the present study, we examined the factor structure of the SDO₇ scale in such a society, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on a sample of 1,020 participants (age: M = 19.5, SD = 2.07 years). The results reported that Ho et al.'s two-factor model was one of the best good-fit models. The SDO₇ scale was strongly invariant across gender, caste, religion, and region. Moreover, men and higher caste had higher SDO. The present study shows that the asymmetrical expression of the method effect across dimensions is a possible problem in the SDO conceptualizations. It supports the cross-cultural validity of SDO, suggests new ideas on its factor structure, and partially establishes a reliable and valid Hindi version of the SDO₇ scale. Relevance to social dominance theory and interventions has been discussed.