Psychometric study and validation of an abbreviated version of the Left-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (LWA-9) in Chilean university students.

INTRODUCTION

Left-wing authoritarianism is a multidimensional construct that is gaining increasing interest. This study evaluated the validity and reliability of three versions of the Left-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (LWA) among Chilean university students and proposed a shortened 9-item version (LWA-9) that significantly reduces the length of the instrument and facilitates its use in applied contexts.

METHODS

A non-probabilistic convenience sampling method was used, involving 415 Chilean university students (69.2% women, 30.1% men, and 0.7% identifying as another gender), aged between 17 and 44 years ( = 20.06; SD = 3.42). Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the LWA scale, the Social Dominance Orientation scale (SDO-7), and the Right-Wing Authoritarianism scale (RWA). Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) analyses were conducted to evaluate the factorial structure.

RESULTS

Analyses confirmed a correlated three-factor structure for all versions. The LWA-9 version stood out for better psychometric fit, high factor loadings, robust reliability levels, and factorial invariance by sex up to strict invariance, although it only reached configural invariance by age group. Convergent validity was supported by positive and significant correlations with the SDO-7 dimensions, and discriminant validity by low and non-significant correlations with the RWA scale, indicating that the LWA-9 captures a distinct construct.

DISCUSSION

These results support the structural validity of the LWA in all its versions and its empirical utility as a brief, efficient, and theoretically sound measure of left-wing authoritarianism.