Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale Research Articles

The six types of nonbelief: a qualitative and quantitative study of type and narrative

Extensive research has been conducted in exploration of the American religious landscape; however, only recently has social science research started to explore nonbelief in any detail. Research on nonbelief has been limited as most research focuses on the popularity of the religious “nones” or the complexities of alternative faith expressions such as spirituality. Through two studies, one qualitative and one quantitative, this research explored how nonbelievers’ self-identify. Study 1 (the qualitative study) discovered that individuals have shared definitional agreement but use different words to describe different types of nonbelief. Through thematic coding, a typology of six different types of nonbelief was observed. Those are Academic Atheists, Activist Atheist/Agnostics, Seeker Agnostics, Antitheists, Non-Theists, and the Ritual Atheists. Study 2 explored the empirical aspects of these types related to the Big Five Domain, Ryff Psychological Well-Being, Narcissistic Personality Inventory, Multidimensional Anger Inventory, Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, and intersections related to religious and spiritual ontology.

CHRISTIANITY AND DOGMATISM REVISITED: A STUDY AMONG FIFTEEN AND SIXTEEN YEAR OLDS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

A sample of 802 adolescents between the ages of fifteen and sixteen years completed an Anglicized form of the Dommert revision of the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale and the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity, together with the Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory. The data demonstrate that attitude toward Christianity and dogmatism are unrelated constructs, although both are related, in different ways, to Eysenck's major dimensions of personality.

Dogmatism and Eysenck's two-dimensional model of personality revisited

A sample of 802 year eleven pupils completed the Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory together with Dommert's modification of the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale. The data confirm the view that neuroticism is the dimension of personality fundamental to individual differences in dogmatism, while extraversion is irrelevant to dogmatism.

Personal and Social Correlates of the ‘Closed Mind’ among 16 Year Old Adolescents in England

Summary A sample of 711 16 year old adolescents completed an Anglicised form of the Dommert revision of the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, together with the Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices. They also provided information about church attendance, personal prayer and paternal occupation. The data demonstrate that higher dogmatism scores are associated with lower IQ scores, lower social class backgrounds, higher neuroticism scores, higher lie scale scores and being male. No correlation was found between dogmatism scores and personal prayer, church attendance or extroversion scores. These findings are discussed against the wider background of the personal and social correlates of dogmatism.

Boredom proneness: Temperamental and cognitive components

The current study examined the relationships between cognitive and personality variables to boredom proneness. Buss and Plomin's four separate dimensions of temperament (Emotionality, Activity, Sociability, and Impulsivity) was used as the operationalization of personality. It was also hypothenized that persons with a higher degree of cognitive inflexibility would be higher on boredom proneness. To assess this hypothesis, the relationship of boredom proneness to a measure of cognitive flexibility (Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale) was also investigated. The sample ( n = 132) consisted of 39% male and 61% female undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses at midwestern university in the U.S. Participants were administered three questionnaires: the Boredom Proneness Scale, Rokeach Dogmatism Scale and Easi-III Temperament Survey. The results of the current study identified certain ‘risk-factors’ related to boredom proneness. Individuals who are highly dogmatic, less sociable, and exhibit low levels of persistence, tempo, and who experience many problems with inhibitory control of impulses are more prone to boredom. The implications of the findings for increasing our understanding of boredom proneness were discussed.

The Battery of Interpersonal Capabilities and Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale: Is There a Relationship?

The Battery of Interpersonal Capabilities is considered by its authors to be a measure of flexibility. Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale is considered by some researchers to be a measure of rigidity, i.e., the opposite of flexibility. The present authors having compiled data from the administration of both instruments during the course of another study computed the correlation between the two scales. For 29 men, there was no evidence of a relationship between the Battery and the Dogmatism Scale ( r = −.031), but for 109 women there is evidence of a relationship with greater evidence for the Battery's long form than for a shorter version ( r = −.203).

Dogmatism and Systems Development Personnel Performance

ABSTRACTThis research explores the relationship between the personal variable, dogmatism, and the performance evaluations of systems analysts within a Fortune 500 company. The Rokeach Dogmatism Scale was used to measure the analysts’ level of dogmatism. The analysts’ performance measurement was the product of the company's annual evaluation process. The results of the research indicate that personnel with the highest dogmatism scores generally receive the extreme performance ratings. The results of this study provide further support to consider dogmatism as an important personal variable influencing systems analyst job performance.

The Relationship between Aesthetic Judgment and Dogmatism

The relationships among a set of five aesthetic judgment variables, and between those variables and dogmatism, were examined through the responses to eight paintings of a sample of 504 tertiary students. The judgment variables—evaluation and boldness—were calibrated from an Art Judgment Inventory, and dogmatism was measured by a shortened form of Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale. The judgment variables correlate as would be expected with each other, and dogmatism shows a consistent negative relationship with the judgment variables.

Influence of gender, dogmatism, and risk-taking propensity upon attitudes toward information from computers

The influence of gender, degree of dogmatism, and prospensity for risk upon attitudes toward information from computer and noncomputer sources was investigated. The degree of dogmatism was determined by use of Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale, Form E. Propensity for risk was determined by use of Wallach's and Kogan's Choice Dilemmas Procedure. Attitudes toward information were measured by used of Matheson's ATIS. The results indicated that females have a significantly more positive attitude toward information from computers than do males. No gender differences were found in attitudes toward information from noncomputer sources. Males were found to have a significantly more positive attitude toward information from noncomputer sources than from computer sources. Females were found not to have any significant differences in attitudes toward information from computer sources than from noncomputer sources. Degree of dogmatism and propensity for risk were not significantly correlated with attitudes toward information from computer sources or noncomputer sources.

Predictors of Performance in a Field-Based Counselor Education Program

The study investigated variables predicting graduate counselor-trainee academic achievement and professional competence attained in a field-based counselor education program. The variables were the 15 needs from the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, dogmatism as measured by the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, and analytic thinking measured by the Miller Analogies Test, all three instruments administered at time of program entrance, as well as level of counselor preparation selected by trainees at entrance and sex. Performance of 81 trainees, 41 women and 40 men, was analyzed. Four predictors—sex, preparation level selected, analytic thinking ability, and need for affiliation—made significant, unique contributions to the explanation of 28% of the variance in academic achievement. Preparation level selected made a significant, unique contribution to the explanation of 11% of the variance in professional competence attained. 57.5% of the men compared to 41.5% of the women selected the basic plus advanced preparation level rather than the basic preparation level only. Trainees selecting the basic level had significantly higher analytic thinking ability and were significantly higher in needs for Achievement and Heterosexuality. Trainees selecting the basic plus advanced level were significantly higher in needs for Deference and Order. Men were significantly higher in need for Achievement and in Dogmatism. Women were significantly higher in academic achievement in the counselor-education program. Complexities in the relationships among characteristics of counselor trainees and of counselor training were discussed. Research on the prediction of performance of counselor-trainees is needed in which the focus of study is on the interactions between trainees' ability and personality characteristics and the curriculum and environmental variables in counselor education programs.

The Effect of Layoff on Police Authoritarianism

Researchers generally agree with the idea of the police personality; however, there exists disagreement as to whether it is primarily attributable to predispositional traits or on-the-job socialization. As a test of the two major theoretical models, two groups of recalled police officers who were laid off approximately one and two years, respectively, were administered the short-form Rokeach Dogmatism Scale. Employment status during layoff was considered essential in comparing authoritarian levels between the two groups. It was hypothesized that if authoritarian levels of both groups, regardless of layoff employment status, did not differ significantly, then the predispositional model would be supported. If the groups' levels of authoritarianism did vary significantly, then the socialization model would have merit. Although race and age are associated with authoritarianism levels, the results support the predispositional model. Implications from the findings are discussed.

Closed-Mindedness: Effect on Achievement

The present research was undertaken to determine the relationship between dogmatism and achievement as determined by Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale and the Ai scale on the California Psychological Inventory. For 49 female and 17 male undergraduate students, the inverse moderate correlation of −.49 was significant, suggesting that high scores on the Ai scale represent open-mindedness and low scores on the dogmatism scale represent the same. This pattern is consistent when men and women were considered separately.

Alternate Methods of Changing Nursing Home Staff Attitudes Toward Sexual Behavior of the Aged

AbstractThis study compares two different methods of changing nursing home staff attitudes toward sexual behavior of the aged. Forty-five staff members were divided into two groups based on scores obtained on Rokeach's Dogmatism scale. Subjects were randomly assigned to three treatments: Implicit, Explicit and Control. A standard SAR format was used, conducted by opposite sex co-leaders. The Sex Knowledge and Attitude Scale and the LTK Attitude Rating Scale were administered. Results indicate that the implicit and explicit treatment groups achieved significantly higher scores on knowledge when compared to the control group. However, post hoc comparison of group means indicate that changes in sexual attitudes, in the direction of increased tolerance, were most clearly made in the implicit group. Level of dogmatism produced statistically insignificant results for most scales.

The influence of field experiences on stages of concern and attitudes of preservice teachers toward science and science teaching

AbstractThe purpose of the study was to determine whether the field experience component of an undergraduate science methods course influenced teachers' concerns and attitudes toward science and science teaching. Age, grade‐point average, openmindedness, and school assignment were examined as factors which might explain some of the variance in the dependent measures. A one‐group pretest‐posttest design was used. Students were administered the Teacher Concerns Questionnaire, the Science Teaching Attitude Scales, and the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale approximately eight weeks after the pretest. Results indicated that field experiences did not significantly change student concerns about teaching science but significantly improved student attitudes toward science and science teaching. Students differing in age, grade‐point average, and openmindedness did not difer significantly in changes in concerns and changes in attitude toward science and science teaching. Students assigned to different schools differed significantly in changes in attitude toward science.

CPE methods for the education of interdisciplinary professionals.

Reports the findings of a five (groups) by two (pre-and-post test) split-plot analysis of variance type research project designed to test the hypothesis that CPE teaching methods are as effective in producing personal change in health care professionals as they are with clergy. Analysis of measuring instrument responses (Adjective Check List, Survey of Interpersonal Values, Rokeach Dogmatism Scale) of 79 subjects--clergy, nurses, nuns, counselors, and miscellaneous professionals--tended to support the major hypothesis. Critical comments are offered by a professional pastoral counselor not involved in the original research.

Modal personality and values of medical students.

30 men and 12 women in the third year of medical training completed the D-20 version of Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale, the Rokeach Scales for Terminal and Introductory Values, and items on career attitudes and background. Scores suggested these students are congenial to primary-care and patient-oriented medicine.

Socialization, locus of control, and dogmatism as related to counsellors' office settings.

Psychologists and social workers in geographically decentralized and sometimes isolated settings must often work autonomously and make independent decisions. It was predicted that staff who choose to work in these settings would be more internally directed and more dogmatic than staff who worked in a centralized office. Decentralized staff were also hypothesized to want less control by others and less social inclusion. On Rotter's (1966) Internal-External Scale, Rokeach's (1959) Dogmatism Scale and Shurz's FIRO-B measures for 29 social workers and psychologists there were differences on the FIRO-B but not in internality or dogmatism. The results are discussed in terms of the sample's characteristics and the implications for the decentralization of counselling services.

Personality characteristics of the users of corporal punishment in the schools

The Rokeach Dogmatism Scale and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire were correlated with educator-reported use of corporal punishment. Respondents were from a medium-size school system in Tennessee. Results indicated that closed-mindedness, as measured by the Rokeach scale, and Neuroticism, as measured by the Eysenck Scale, were highly correlated with reported use of corporal punishment. Of the remaining two dimensions of personality measured by the Eysenck questionnaire, Extraversion was found to be moderately correlated with reported use of corporal punishment while Psychoticism showed no significant relationship. A significant negative correlation was found between years of experience in teaching and use of corporal punishment. Frequency of physical punishment used on an educator when he/she was in grades K-12 was positively correlated with reported use of corporal punishment. Heavy users of corporal punishment tended to be relatively inexperienced, close-minded, neurotic, and impulsive as compared to their peers who did not use corporal punishment.

4) Amenability to counseling of opiate addicts on probation or parole

Fifty-two opiate addicts were classified as abstainers or continued abusers by their probation or parole officer. Eighteen variables-nine demographic and nine psychological-were evaluated for all subjects. Following factor analysis, 13 remaining variables were entered into a stepwise discriminant function analysis which significantly differentiated the abstaining and abusing groups. Abstainers were characterized by less dogmatism, higher education and personality integration, fewer aggressive incidents and previous drug arrests, and older age. The discriminant function classified 78.8% of the observations correctly and accounted for 27% of the variance. Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale, the Personality Integration Subscale of the Tennessee Self-concept Scale, and the effective demographic discriminators have been included in a screening battery for counseling amenability by which incoming opiate addicts scoring like abstainers are granted priority in treatment assignment.

Alienation, dogmatism, and related personality characteristics.

Examined the relationship between alienation and dogmatism, as measured by shared personality characteristics. Scores from the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, the Keniston Alienation Scale, the California Test of Personality, and the Omnibus Personality Inventory were obtained for a sample of 92 college freshmen. Alienation and dogmatism were found to be positively related concepts. The factors that best predicted alienation from dogmatic responses were intolerance expressed for opposing beliefs and compulsivity in the belief system. Alienation and dogmatism also were found to be associated with several commonly held personality traits, which center around anxiety, low self-esteem, and social estrangement manifested in feelings of hostility, aggression, loneliness, rejection, and isolation. These results were discussed and compared to previous research that explored the two concepts separately.