LIBA (LIAU) V3

This is the third study in the attempt to develop a scale for measuring libertarian authoritarianism (LIBA; see the preregistrations for Study 1 and 2 for details: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/9ZWAV and https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4UZP9. In the first two studies we developed a 26-Item scale, consisting of an overall LIBA factor and five subfactors: (1) approval of meritocratic values and social coldness, (2) reified freedom, (3) denied social dependency, (4) perception of losing one’s freedom, and (5) aggression to defend one’s own freedom. The first three subfactors are theorized to constitute the core of LIBA, reflecting a perception of the world shaped by societal narratives, whereas the latter two are tentatively considered more ancillary consequences of these core dispositions. In our two previous studies, we already conducted preliminary validation tests by assessing external constructs such as right-wing authoritarianism (RWA; Altemeyer, 1986; Beyerlein, 2015) and trait reactance (Herzberg, 2002). In general, results were consistent with expectations, with correlations observed for the overall LIBA-scale as well as LIBA subscales (e.g., social coldness correlated with RWA). However, since then, the LIBA scale has been modified, and the preliminary “validation” was limited and ancillary. Thus, Study 3 constitutes a (first) large-scale validation of the LIBA scale. We assess all 26 LIBA items in combination with external scales (list attached) and test LIBA with regard to both (1) factor structure and (2) convergent and discriminant validity.