Alienation via Rejection Scale – AVRS
Measures dimensions of alienation, anomia, and authoritarianism in relation to social rejection and societal attitudes.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Alienation via Rejection Scale – AVRS was developed by Elmer Struening, Arthur H. Richardson, Ronald James Knapp (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, Social Attitudes (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 |
| Social Attitudes (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.
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.