Factor Structure of the Dogmatism Scale

Abstract

The factor structure of the Dogmatism Scale was studied. In separate analyses for males ( N = 309) and females ( N = 526) 5 factors emerged. The factors were rotated orthogonally and obliquely, resulting in very similar loadings for both rotations. Since a single common factor did not emerge and since the correlations among the 5 factors were low, with some near 0, the use of the Dogmatism Scale as a summated rating scale was questioned. The solutions for males and females, though similar, were sufficiently different to warrant treating them separately. In view of the findings, it was suggested that the measurement of a construct as complex as dogmatism may be enhanced by resorting to a multidimensional approach.