Two Kinds of “Woke”? Psychometric Validation of the Critical Right Scale and Revised Critical Social Justice Attitudes Scale

Abstract

<p>This study developed and validated the Critical Right Scale (CRS) to measure emerging critical right attitudes and revised the Critical Social Justice Attitudes Scale (CSJAS-R), replicating its psychometric evaluation. A nationwide convenience sample of Finnish adults (<em>n</em> = 626) completed an online survey. Item screening used exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation and loading and residual correlation criteria. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and measurement invariance testing were conducted in <em>lavaan</em> using full information maximum likelihood. The final CRS consisted of five items with high reliability (<em>α</em> = 0.89, <em>ω</em> = 0.90) and good model fit in both male and female subsamples, with pooled-sample residual misfit judged minor given subgroup results. The CSJAS-R comprised six items with strong reliability (<em>α</em> = 0.88, <em>ω</em> = 0.89) and excellent fit. Both scales met configural and metric invariance; partial scalar invariance was achieved after freeing a small number of item intercepts. CRS scores were strongly associated with right-wing and conservative self-placement with higher scores concentrated among Finns Party and Christian Democrat voters, and weakly linked to perceived oppression. CSJAS-R scores were strongly associated with left-wing and liberal self-placement with higher scores concentrated among Left Alliance and Greens voters, had a small-to-moderately associated with justification of political violence. CRS and CSJAS-R were strongly negatively correlated (<em>r</em> = −0.62), indicating divergent validity. Both CRS and CSJAS-R demonstrated strong psychometric properties and distinct ideological profiles, providing validated tools for studying political attitude structures at opposing ends of the ideological spectrum.<br></p>