Abstract
This study developed a measure of solidarity levels during pandemics, the Solidarity in Pandemics Scale (SPS). This was achieved using a study group of 842 individuals aged between 18 and 65 from different segments of society who had experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and differed in age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Exploratory factor analysis was used to establish the construct validity of the scale, producing a 15-item scale with a one-dimensional structure that explained 34.36% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis using a different study group revealed that all items have significant t-values, and the model established according to model fit indexes has meaningful and acceptable fit values. The internal consistency of the scale results was calculated using the Cronbach Alpha coefficient, and a reliability of .85 in terms of internal consistency was obtained. Test-retest reliability results as another indicator of reliability were found to be .85. Scores on the Altruism Scale were compared with those on the SPS to evaluate the scale’s criterion validity, and a significant relationship was found between the two scale scores. This analysis indicates that the Solidarity in Pandemics Scale is a valid and reliable psychometric tool.
Highlights
Pandemics can significantly affect the sociological structure of a society
A measurement tool that enables the examination of the solidarity-related structures formed by individuals during pandemics was missing from the literature, and this study aimed to develop such a scale
The term “solidarity” has been used for different definitions of community tied to different types of bonds
Summary
Pandemics can significantly affect the sociological structure of a society. They cause individuals to experience a range of emotions, such as fear, anxiety, anger, rage, or empathy, and these emotions have the power to shape their social reactions (Blasi et al, 2020; Zou, 2020). Heightened fear can make individuals prone to defensive reactions (Blondé & Girandola, 2019), and anxiety and fear can provoke hostile feelings and behaviors. Placing blame for a pandemic on specific ethnic groups or social classes can lead to hostile behaviors toward those groups. During historical plague epidemics in Europe, certain ethnic groups, poor individuals, and beggars were held responsible for the spread of the plague, and anger was directed toward them (Cohn, 2012). Fear and anxiety drove people to loot markets, taking more
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