The Italian version of the Dominance Scale

Factor structure and measurement invariance across sexes

Bibliographic Data

ID21627445
AuthorsTeodosio Giacolini (0000-0003-1136-4785, Sapienza University of Rome, corresponding author), Giuseppe Abbracciavento (0000-0002-5955-269X, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo), Federica Gigliotti (0000-0002-9240-3418, Sapienza University of Rome), Laura Picconi (0000-0003-2014-1217, University of Chieti-Pescara), Enrico Vitolo (0000-0002-2120-4980, University of Turin), Lorenzo Tarsitani (0000-0002-1752-966X, Sapienza University of Rome, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume45
Issue12
Publication date2026-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCurrent Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1046-1310 • E-ISSN: 1936-4733
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s12144-026-09677-3
OpenAlexW7166733409
LanguageEN
References cited110

This study aims to examine the Italian version of the dominance scale (DS), its factorial structure, and the measurement of invariance for the sexes. The DS is based on research on the motivational/emotional system of dominance and on studies previously conducted and systematized by psychobiologist Jack Panksepp, which led to the development of the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS), which assesses six motivational and emotional systems. The DS thus ideally complements the previous six ANPS scales. The Italian version of the DS was developed by administering it to a sample of 338 subjects fairly evenly distributed between males (153) and females (185). The present study provides psychometric evidence supporting the validity and reliability of the DS. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the superiority of the originally hypothesized two-factor model—reward entitlement and social influence—over a unidimensional alternative, reinforcing the conceptualization of dominance as a multidimensional construct. The internal consistency estimates for both subscales and the total scale were satisfactory, with Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients ranging from .71–0.77. The item-total and interitem correlations indicated good homogeneity within each subscale, with no items showing evidence of poor discrimination, thereby supporting the internal structure of the scale. Measurement invariance across genders was established at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, with only minor intercept noninvariance detected for two items. These results support the equivalence of the scale across male and female groups, making it an interesting tool for studying different psychopathologies, such as mood disorders, obsessive‒compulsive disorder, and psychosis

Conceptualization · Confirmatory factor analysis · Cronbach's alpha · Measurement invariance · Personality · Psychometrics · Personality Disorders and Psychopathology · Personality Traits and Psychology · Psychological Testing and Assessment