Sense of Belonging – Chicago Youth Development Study (CYDS)
Measures an individual's psychological sense of belonging and attachment to their neighborhood.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Sense of Belonging – Chicago Youth Development Study (CYDS) was developed by Tolan, Gorman-Smith & Henry (2001). It is designed to measure Sense of Belonging. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and Caregivers.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 6 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Caregiver’s Sense of Belonging, Youth’s Sense of Belonging.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Caregiver's Sense of Belonging | 1,2,4,5 | 4 |
| Youth's Sense of Belonging | 1,2,4,6 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Neither, 4 = Disagree, 5 = Strongly disagree.
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Sense of Belonging: 1 – 2
- Moderate Sense of Belonging: 3 – 3
- High Sense of Belonging: 4 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.