Dogmatism Updated: A Scale Revision and Validation

Abstract

Dogmatism represents an individual difference in cognitive style characterized by closed-mindedness. The concept of dogmatism has received a great deal of research attention in such topics as information selection, information processing, message selection, and source-message distinction. Previous dogmatism scales, however, have psychometric problems, and item wordings have become outdated. The present study updates the scale items based on a simplified conceptualization of dogmatism and assesses the validity of the new scale. Factor analyses and item analyses were employed to assess the unidimensionality of the scale. Two validation studies (N = 165 for study 1; N = 175 for study 2) were conducted. Both studies provided evidence consistent with construct validity. The updated dogmatism correlated positively with dominance and submission and negatively with perspective-taking and empathic concern. The predictive validity of the scale was only partially consistent with the data.

Keywords:

• Closed-mindedness
• Cognitive Style
• Construct Validity
• Dogmatism
• Scale Construction

Notes

A portion of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of National Communication Association, Miami Beach, FL, 2003.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sachiyo M. Shearman

Sachiyo M. Shearman (PhD, Michigan State University) is an assistant professor in the School of Communication at East Carolina University

Timothy R. Levine

Timothy R. Levine (PhD, Michigan State University) is professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University.