Alienation via Rejection Scale
Measures dimensions of alienation, anomia, and authoritarianism, specifically focusing on feelings of rejection, purposelessness, and social isolation.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Alienation via Rejection Scale was developed by Elmer Struening & Arthur H. Richardson (1965). It is designed to measure Alienation, Anomia, and Authoritarianism. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 63 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Alienation via Rejection, Emotional distance, Authoritarianism, Purposelessness, Self-determinism, Anomia, Authoritarianism, and Alienation (Knapp).
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Alienation via Rejection | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,17 | 16 |
| Emotional distance | 16,18,22,36 | 4 |
| Authoritarianism | 19,23,24,25,26,27,28,30 | 8 |
| Purposelessness | 20,31,32,33,34,35 | 6 |
| Self-determinism | 21,29,37,38,39 | 5 |
| Anomia, Authoritarianism, and Alienation (Knapp) | 40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 | 24 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Not sure but probably agree, 4 = Not sure but probably disagree, 5 = Disagree, 6 = Strongly disagree.
The scale includes 4 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 63 to 378. Interpretation guidelines:
- High Agreement / High Alienation Tendencies: 63 – 189
- Moderate / Neutral Tendencies: 190 – 252
- Low Agreement / Low Alienation Tendencies: 253 – 378
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 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.