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Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA-88)

Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA-88) Test

Understand authoritarian attitudes in about 6 minutes, including submission to leaders, rule enforcement, and traditionalism. A 30 item scale that is quick, focused, and delivers clear, research-ready insights.

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Questions: 306 minutes

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08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

13,783 views

874 completions

762 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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How the Scales are Structured

example score

99/270

Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA)

This scale measures the extent of right-wing authoritarian attitudes, including conventionalism, authoritarian submission, and authoritarian aggression toward dissenters.

Low

High

30 – 150: Low | 151 – 270: High

A score of 99 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively weaker authoritarian attitudes such as strict conventionalism, uncritical submission to authority, and support for punitive measures against rule-breakers.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Psychology and sociology students

41%OF USERS

They take it to learn how authoritarian attitudes are measured and to use the scores in coursework or small research projects.

Social science researchers

34%OF USERS

They use it in surveys to compare groups and track links between authoritarianism, values, and political or social attitudes across cultures.

Politically curious self-explorers

25%OF USERS

They take it to understand their own stance toward tradition, obedience to leaders, and support for harsh punishment of rule-breakers.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

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Used in 52+ countries

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See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RAS)

Average

104.9

Normal range

70.5 — 139.4

min.

max.

270

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures attitudes associated with right-wing authoritarianism. It covers conventionalism, authoritarian aggression, and authoritarian submission.

How is the questionnaire completed?

Statements are rated by level of agreement or disagreement. Responses should reflect typical views rather than a single recent event.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

It contains 30 statements. Average completion time is about 6 minutes.

How should results be interpreted?

Higher scores indicate stronger endorsement of strict social norms, punitive responses to rule breaking, and deference to established authorities. Scores describe tendencies in attitudes and do not provide a diagnosis.

Are results comparable across cultures or languages?

The measure was developed for North American samples, so cross-cultural comparisons should be interpreted cautiously. Use a current validated local adaptation when administering in another language.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA-88) Test - Symptoms and Signs

social attitudes

The instrument is designed to assess individual differences in right-wing authoritarian attitudes and related social-ideological orientations. Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA-88) is commonly used in research and applied assessment contexts to characterize patterns of conventionalism, authoritarian aggression, and authoritarian submission.

It consists of 30 items and typically requires about 6 minutes to complete, using self-report responses to statements reflecting these attitudinal domains. Scores from the Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA-88) are generally interpreted as indicators of the degree to which an individual endorses deference to established authorities, support for punitive social control of norm violators, and adherence to traditional social conventions.

Author: bob-altemeyer

Literature: John F. Dovidio, Miles Hewstone, Peter Glick, and Victoria M. Esses (Eds.). The SAGE handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. SAGE Publications. 2010.; Karen Stenner. The authoritarian dynamic. Cambridge University Press. 2005.; Bob Altemeyer. Enemies of freedom: Understanding right-wing authoritarianism. Jossey-Bass. 1988.; Bob Altemeyer. The authoritarians. Unpublished manuscript. 2006.

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