Radicalism-Conservatism Scale – RCS
Measures individual differences in social, political, and religious attitudes along a radicalism-conservatism continuum.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Radicalism-Conservatism Scale – RCS was developed by Andrew L. Comrey & John A. Newmeyer (1965). It is designed to measure Radicalism-Conservatism. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 60 items organized into 13 factors/subscales: Religiosity, Pacifism, Welfarism, Anti-unionism, Weak Federal Government, Moral Censorship, Contraception, Racial Tolerance, Severe Treatment of Criminals, Capital Punishment, Service to Country, World Government, Service to the Individual.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Religiosity | 1,2,3,4,31,32,33,34 | 8 |
| Pacifism | 5,6,7,35,36,37 | 6 |
| Welfarism | 8,9,38,39 | 4 |
| Anti-unionism | 10,11,40,41 | 4 |
| Weak Federal Government | 12,13,14,15,42,43,44,45 | 8 |
| Moral Censorship | 16,17,18,19,46,47,48,49 | 8 |
| Contraception | 20,50 | 2 |
| Racial Tolerance | 21,51 | 2 |
| Severe Treatment of Criminals | 22,23,52,53 | 4 |
| Capital Punishment | 24,25,54,55 | 4 |
| Service to Country | 26,27,56,57 | 4 |
| World Government | 28,29,58,59 | 4 |
| Service to the Individual | 30,60 | 2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Agree very strongly, 2 = Agree strongly, 3 = Agree moderately, 4 = Agree slightly, 5 = Neutral / Undecided, 6 = Disagree slightly, 7 = Disagree moderately, 8 = Disagree strongly, 9 = Disagree very strongly.
The scale includes 13 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 60 to 540. Interpretation guidelines:
- Conservative orientation: 60 – 220
- Moderate orientation: 221 – 380
- Radical / Liberal orientation: 381 – 540
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source text.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.