Attributions for Cross-Country Inequality Scale (ACIS)
Measures lay explanations and causal attributions for the economic disparities between rich and poor countries.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Attributions for Cross-Country Inequality Scale (ACIS) was developed by Michela Vezzoli, Roberta Rosa Valtorta, Attila Gáspár, Carmen Cervone, Federica Durante, Anne Maass, Caterina Suitner (2024). It is designed to measure Economic Inequality Attributions. The scale is intended for use with Adults (18 years and older).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Rich Countries, Poor Countries, Fate.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Rich Countries | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 | 9 |
| Poor Countries | 10,11,12,13,14,15 | 6 |
| Fate | 16,17,18 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Totally disagree / Not at all, 2 = Disagree / A little, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree / Much, 5 = Totally agree / Very much.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 18 to 90. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low overall agreement with attributions: 18 – 42
- Moderate overall agreement with attributions: 43 – 66
- High overall agreement with attributions: 67 – 90
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Rich countries: α = .88-.93; Poor countries: α = .79-.84; Fate: α = .67-.69.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.