Construction and Validation of the Legitimizing Income Inequality Scale

Bibliographic Data

ID8914828
AuthorsJeremy J Coleman (0000-0002-8026-2101, Augusta University, corresponding author), Patton O Garriott (0000-0002-5629-0778, University of Denver), Mia T Kosmicki (University of Denver)
Year2021
Volume50
Issue1
Pages67-95
Publication date2021-12-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Counseling Psychologist (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0011-0000 • E-ISSN: 1552-3861
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00110000211049544
OpenAlexW4200178831
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited52

Although income inequality has become a focus of political and social discourse, counseling psychology research examining correlates and consequences of legitimizing income inequality remains sparse. A significant barrier to the study of income inequality is the lack of available measures to assess attitudes toward socioeconomic inequality. The purpose of this study was to develop and provide initial validity evidence for the Legitimizing Income Inequality Scale (LIIS). Results supported a bifactor structure for the LIIS with a general factor (ω = .95) and subfactors measuring Social Welfare Beliefs (ω = .92), Economic Fatalism (ω = .87), and Economic Meritocracy Beliefs (ω = .90). The LIIS significantly correlated in theoretically consistent directions with scores on measures of classist attitudes, socioeconomic conservatism, impression management, and colorblind racial attitudes. Implications for future research and training using the LIIS are provided

Conservatism · Economic inequality · Economics · Fatalism · Inequality · Meritocracy · Political science · Politics · Scale (ratio · Social class · Social inequality · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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