Ascription of Responsibility Questionnaire – ARQ
Measures the extent to which individuals ascribe responsibility to themselves, others, or external forces across different domains.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Ascription of Responsibility Questionnaire – ARQ was developed by Hakstian, A. R., Suedfeld, P., Ballard, E. J., & Rank, D. S. (1986). It is designed to measure Ascription of Responsibility. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 40 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Traditional Focused, Diffuse Responsibility, Exercised Responsibility, Individual Focused Responsibility.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Focused | 1,5,14,17,18,22,26,29,31,33,39 | 11 |
| Diffuse Responsibility | 2,6,8,11,15,19,27,30,34,36,38 | 11 |
| Exercised Responsibility | 3,9,12,16,20,24,40 | 7 |
| Individual Focused Responsibility | 4,7,10,13,21,23,25,28,32,35,37 | 11 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 7 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
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 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.