# Development and Validation of the Common Prosperity Aspiration Scale: A Mixed-Methods Study in China

## TL;DR

This study creates a reliable scale to measure rural residents' aspirations for common prosperity in China, combining personal and collective goals in material and spiritual aspects.

## Contribution

The paper introduces the first psychometrically validated scale for common prosperity aspirations in rural contexts.

## Key findings

- The CPAS scale has four dimensions: material–individual, material–collective, spiritual–individual, and spiritual–collective.
- The scale showed strong reliability and validity through multiple statistical analyses.
- The study provides a tool to explore how prosperity aspirations influence behaviors and community development.

## Abstract

Despite the increasing emphasis on residents’ prosperity aspirations in rural development initiatives, the lack of a psychometrically sound measure limits comparability and rigor, as existing studies primarily focus on structural and policy factors influencing community prosperity, with insufficient attention to residents’ psychological processes and subjective experiences. Drawing on community psychology, this study develops and validates a measure of rural residents’ aspirations for common prosperity, integrating personal fulfillment with collective advancement across material and spiritual domains. Employing a three-phase mixed-methods design, Study 1 used in-depth interviews and grounded theory procedures (N = 28) to develop a theoretical model comprising four dimensions: material–individual, material–collective, spiritual–individual, and spiritual–collective. Study 2 generated a 19-item, four-factor scale via exploratory factor analysis and exploratory graph analysis (N = 581). Study 3 confirmed the scale’s second-order factor structure and psychometric properties with confirmatory factor analysis (N = 659). The Common Prosperity Aspiration Scale (CPAS) demonstrated strong reliability and validity across its four dimensions and the overarching second-order factor. This pioneering study elucidates the psychological structure of common prosperity aspirations and provides a psychometrically reliable measure for rural contexts. It serves as a valuable tool to explore their influence on behaviors and promote sustainable community development.