Critical Consciousness Measurement

doi:10.1017/9781009153751.008

7 - Critical Consciousness Measurement

A Brief History, Current Status, and New Directions

from Part II - Measurement

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 April 2023

Luke J. Rapa,

Sarah E. McKellar and

Erin B. Godfrey

Edited by

Luke J. Rapa and

Erin B. Godfrey

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Luke J. Rapa: Affiliation:
Clemson University, South Carolina
Erin B. Godfrey: Affiliation:
New York University

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Summary

In this chapter, we review the quantitative measurement of critical consciousness that has emerged within developmental and applied research over the last few decades. We provide a brief history and offer an overview of the current status of critical consciousness measurement. We also introduce four “phases” of critical consciousness measurement, which we refer to as (1) proxy measurement; (2) scale development; (3) scale expansion and (re)specification; and (4) scale refinement and adaptation. Due to their central role in critical consciousness measurement, we pay particular attention to instruments appearing in phase two, the scale development phase. After summarizing each phase, we identify opportunities for advancement and innovation in critical consciousness measurement and point to important new directions for measurement work in this area of scholarship – many of which are addressed more extensively in subsequent chapters of this volume.

Keywords

critical consciousness instrument development measurement scale development exploratory factor analysis confirmatory factor analysis

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: Critical Consciousness
Expanding Theory and Measurement
, pp. 173 - 201
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009153751.008 [Opens in a new window]
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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