Protestant Work Ethic Scale – PWE
Measures the extent to which an individual subscribes to the Protestant work ethic, emphasizing diligence, asceticism, and a negative view of leisure.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Protestant Work Ethic Scale – PWE was developed by Franklin L. Mirels & James B. Garrett (1971). It is designed to measure Protestant Work Ethic. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 19 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Anti-leisure, Asceticism, Work.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-leisure | 1,2,9,15 | 4 |
| Asceticism | 3,8,12,14 | 4 |
| Work | 4,5,6,7,10,11,13,16,17,18,19 | 11 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 7 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 3 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 19 to 133. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Protestant Work Ethic: 19 – 57
- Moderate Protestant Work Ethic: 58 – 95
- High Protestant Work Ethic: 96 – 133
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha values ranged from .69 to .79.
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.