Testing for Measurement Invariance: Evaluating Legal Cynicism Among Probationers in Community Corrections

• In Event: Supervision Tools, Policies, Risk Assessment in Community Corrections

Abstract

Current research indicates that antisocial attitudes are among the most significant factors influencing an individual’s success on probation, yet there is little consensus among studies regarding how to best conceptualize and define these attitudes. Some scholars contend that legal cynicism (e.g., disdain or aversion toward the law) constitutes a distinct antisocial attitude (Wight & Gifford, 2017). Gifford and Reisig (2019) recently developed and validated a new legal cynicism construct with good psychometric properties among university students. However, few studies have evaluated these measurement properties among individuals involved in the justice system. Utilizing self-reported data collected from a sample of probationers in a Western state (n= 185), this study investigates the dimensionality and measurement invariance of individuals’ legal cynicism beliefs. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) assesses whether the legal cynicism scale represents a unidimensional, higher-order, or bifactor structure, with results supporting a three-factor multidimensional construct. Examining antisocial attitudes through a legal cynicism framework should provide supervision officers with clearer criminogenic needs to address, enhancing the effectiveness of community corrections and treatment interventions.

Author

• Lucas Alward, Boise State University