Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA) Test

Readers examining their reactions to social order can use this questionnaire to reflect on how they respond to authority, dissent, and changing norms. The Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA) Test translates those responses into an overall score and a documented result band. As an authoritarian attitude questionnaire, it can help clarify whether traditionalism, deference, or punitive responses deserve closer personal reflection.

What This Assessment Explores

At its center, the questionnaire examines preference for established customs, deference to accepted authorities, and support for forceful action against people seen as threats to social order. Its topics include gender roles, religion, sexuality, protest, moral rules, leadership, and freedom to choose a different way of life.

These topics connect personal beliefs with broader judgments about social order. As an RWA attitude scale, the result describes an attitude pattern rather than a complete account of character.

The single Right-Wing Authoritarianism score ranges from 20-180. Results appear as Low-Moderate (20-99) or High (100-180). The dimensions represented by the statements are:

• Conventionalism captures endorsement of traditional norms and inherited moral rules as guides for social life.
• Authoritarian aggression reflects support for suppressing or punishing people portrayed as threats to established order.
• Authoritarian submission indicates readiness to defer to leaders or institutions regarded as legitimate.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Each statement uses a nine-point agreement scale from Strongly disagree (-4) through Neutral (0) to Strongly agree (+4). The set combines endorsements of authority and tradition with support for dissent, equal freedom, and personal choice, so wording direction matters. The response format records degree of agreement, and the questionnaire reports one overall score with a displayed band; higher scores indicate stronger authoritarian attitudes. The overall result reflects the pattern of responses across these themes rather than item-level or subscale feedback.

Its conceptual anchor is the Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale developed in Altemeyer's 1981 work. That framework gives the construct its three-part structure, while Funke's 2005 analysis shows why those components and a single total require careful interpretation. This questionnaire is conceptually consistent with that literature, but should not be assumed to reproduce the original instrument's full wording, norms, or validation.

The result is best read as a measure of authoritarian attitudes, focusing on reactions to authority, social change, and dissent. The displayed bands provide descriptive guidance, while self-report results can shift with current context, self-awareness, and willingness to answer candidly.