The Development and Initial Validation of the Multidimensional Fairness Scale

Research in psychology, sociology, economics, and other disciplines investigating social justice has identified associations between fair treatment and human well-being. However, the lack of a practical and valid instrument for measuring individual experiences of fair treatment in multiple areas of life has limited the ability to understand the relationship between fairness and wellness. The purpose of these studies was to develop and establish the initial psychometric properties and convergent validity of a scale measuring personal experiences of fairness across various life domains. Development and validation occurred across three studies. Scale development in Study 1 included the generation of items, item revision, and analysis of content validity. A review of existing literature and qualitative data derived from focus group discussions informed the initial pool of items. Cognitive interviews and expert input aided in analysis of content validity and revision of items. Study 2 consisted of confirmatory factor analyses to evaluate the performance of items and determine the underlying factor structure of the scale. In Study 3, factor analyses were used to evaluate convergent validity with other fairness-related instruments. Results of the first study supported the conceptualization of fairness along a social-ecological spectrum: experiences of fairness existed in multiple distinct life domains (e.g., interpersonal, occupational, community). Results from the second study revealed a bifactor model with one general Fairness factor and four Interpersonal, Occupational, Community, and Societal ecological group factors. Results from the third study suggested acceptable convergent validity among some subscales and other established instruments, while also suggesting that refinements to the Community fairness subscale might improve the scale. The final 12-item scale demonstrated good reliability. Results of this study produced an instrument able to measure individual experiences of fair treatment across four life domains.