Developing the Political Values Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study

Abstract

In this study, a scale was developed in order to determine the place of “value” which has a place in international literature and which is one of the signifiers of understanding universal basic needs such as biological, social and welfare-related ones, in Turkish political discourse and to understand the social correspondence of the value dimensions embedded in the discourses of political actors in the media. Data were obtained from a group of 400 people in the city of Ankara. For validity and reliability studies, gender and education level ratio were taken into consideration, and data were obtained from a group of 400 people in the city of Ankara via a firm which provides support within the context of the project. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used for the validity of the instrument. Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient, corrected-item correlation and item-total correlation were examined for 1 The study is based on the data gathered from the research project, 114K788, titled “Political values map of Türkiye in 2000s: Studying the relationship between the discourses of political actors and political choices in terms of values” supported by TÜBİTAK SOBAG. Doç. Dr. Aynur KÖSE / Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Fatih KEZER 682 reliability proofs. The analyses showed that the scale had three-factored dimensions, which explained 42.33% of the total variance. C-A reliability concerning the totality of the scale was determined to be 0.89, C-A reliability coefficients belonging to factors were determined to be 0.88, 0.90 and 0.76, respectively. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the fit indexes were at acceptable levels for the appropriateness of the structure. It is thought that Political Values Scale, which was designed to determine the social correspondence of value priorities of politics in Türkiye, the society’s expectations for values, and the society’s relationship with values in terms of voting behavior, and which was proven to be valid and reliable, would be helpful for researchers who want to study political value and the relationship between politics and values.