# Psychometric Properties of the Authoritarian Attitude Scale in a Sample of Chilean Adolescent Students

## TL;DR

This study tests a scale to measure authoritarian attitudes in Chilean high school students and finds it reliable and valid.

## Contribution

The study confirms the Authoritarian Attitude Scale's psychometric properties in a Chilean adolescent sample.

## Key findings

- Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure with good fit indices.
- The scale showed positive correlations with violent behavior in antisocial and delinquent behavior.
- Factorial invariance was confirmed across gender, age, and ethnicity.

## Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Authoritarian Attitude Scale in a sample of high school students from Chile. A total of 775 students (46.5% men; 53.5% women), with an average age of 15.99 years (Sd = 1.32), participated through non-probabilistic convenience sampling in 11 schools. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure with correlated factors and adequate fit indices. Criterion validity revealed positive and significant correlations with the violent behaviour dimension of the antisocial and delinquent behaviour scale. The factorial invariance analysis confirmed configural, weak, strong, and strict equivalence by gender, age and ethnicity, demonstrating model stability. The adoption of the Authoritarian Attitude Scale among Chilean adolescents provides a valid, culturally relevant tool for assessing authoritarian tendencies and understanding psychosocial dynamics in the educational context. The findings offer initial evidence of the scale’s reliability and validity.