Deviant Behaviors Scale – DBS
Measures interpersonal and organizational deviant behaviors in the workplace.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Deviant Behaviors Scale – DBS was developed by Aquino, K., Lewis, M. U., & Bradfield, M. (1999). It is designed to measure Workplace deviance. The scale is intended for use with Employees / working adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 14 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Interpersonal deviance, Organizational deviance.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Interpersonal deviance | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | 6 |
| Organizational deviance | 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = One to three times, 3 = Four to ten times, 4 = Eleven to twenty times, 5 = More than twenty times.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 14 to 70. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low deviance: 14 – 28
- Moderate deviance: 29 – 49
- High deviance: 50 – 70
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Interpersonal deviance alpha = .73, Organizational deviance alpha = .76.
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.