Dean Alienation Scale – DAS
Measures total alienation and its components: social isolation, normlessness, and powerlessness.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Dean Alienation Scale – DAS was developed by Dwight G. Dean (1961). It is designed to measure Alienation. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 24 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Social Isolation, Powerlessness, Normlessness.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Social Isolation | 1,3,4,8,12,15,21,22,23 | 9 |
| Powerlessness | 2,6,9,14,16,18,19,20,24 | 9 |
| Normlessness | 5,7,10,11,13,17 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 6 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 24 to 120. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Alienation: 24 – 56
- Moderate Alienation: 57 – 88
- High Alienation: 89 – 120
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.78.
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.