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Social Dominance Orientation Scale

Social Dominance Orientation Scale Test

Understand how strongly you favor group hierarchies versus equality in just 3 minutes. This quick 16 item measure offers reliable insights for research, workplace culture, and conflict prevention.

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Questions: 163 minutes

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08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

18,390 views

2,509 completions

2,053 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

4/7

Social Dominance Orientation (SDO)

This scale measures the extent to which a person supports social hierarchies and group-based inequality versus egalitarian relations among groups.

Egalitarian orientation

Mixed/neutral orientation

Hierarchy-supporting orientation

1 – 2.2: Egalitarian orientation | 2.3 – 4.4: Mixed/neutral orientation | 4.5 – 7: Hierarchy-supporting orientation

A score of 4 falls in the mixed/neutral range, suggesting neither strong endorsement of group-based hierarchy nor a consistently egalitarian stance.

example score

4/7

Anti-Egalitarianism (AE)

Antiegalitarianism measures the extent to which a person rejects equality between social groups and prefers group-based hierarchy.

Egalitarian-leaning

Mixed/Moderate

Hierarchy-leaning

1 – 1.9: Egalitarian-leaning | 2 – 4.4: Mixed/Moderate | 4.5 – 7: Hierarchy-leaning

A score of 4 falls in the Mixed/Moderate range, suggesting neither a strong rejection of equality nor a strong preference for group-based hierarchy.

example score

3/7

Dominance (D)

Measures the extent to which a person endorses maintaining hierarchical dominance of some groups over others.

Low dominance

Moderate dominance

High dominance

1 – 2.2: Low dominance | 2.3 – 4.8: Moderate dominance | 4.9 – 7: High dominance

A score of 3 falls in the moderate range, suggesting a mixed or situational tendency to accept group-based dominance rather than a strong preference for either hierarchy or equality.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Students in social sciences

41%OF USERS

They take it for classes or theses to understand how people differ in support for group hierarchies and equality.

DEI and HR professionals

33%OF USERS

They use it to gauge attitudes that can shape workplace culture, inclusion efforts, and intergroup tensions.

Politics and society watchers

26%OF USERS

They take it out of curiosity to see how their views on power, status, and group differences relate to their social and political opinions.

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

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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.

Social Dominance Orientation Scale (SDOS)

Average

Normal range

3 — 5.1

min.

max.

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.

Antiegalitarianism (A)

Average

5.5

Normal range

4.3 — 6.6

min.

max.

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.

Dominance (D)

Average

3.2

Normal range

2.5 — 4

min.

max.

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 the degree of support for group-based social hierarchy versus group-based equality. Items address attitudes about dominance and inequality across social groups.

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

Average completion time is about 3 minutes. The questionnaire includes 16 statements.

How should responses be selected?

Select the option that best reflects the level of agreement with each statement. Use first reactions and avoid spending excessive time on any item.

Are there right or wrong answers?

No. Results reflect reported attitudes and are interpreted as a profile of preferences regarding hierarchy and equality.

How are results typically used?

Results are used in research and applied settings to examine how hierarchy-related attitudes relate to social and intergroup outcomes. They may also be used to compare groups or track changes over time.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Social Dominance Orientation Scale Test - Symptoms and Signs

ethnopsychology intergroup relations social attitudes

This measure is used in the social and behavioral sciences to assess individual differences in endorsement of group-based hierarchy and inequality. The Social Dominance Orientation Scale is administered as a brief self-report questionnaire.

Respondents rate their agreement with statements reflecting preferences for group dominance versus egalitarian relations; total scores are interpreted as an index of social dominance orientation in the context of intergroup attitudes. The instrument includes 16 items and typically requires about 3 minutes to complete. It was developed by Felicia Pratto and Jim Sidanius.

In clinical and applied settings, the Social Dominance Orientation Scale may be used as an adjunct measure to characterize values and attitudes relevant to intergroup dynamics, with results interpreted cautiously and in conjunction with other assessment data rather than as a stand-alone diagnostic indicator.

Author: Felicia Pratto, Jim Sidanius

Literature: Pratto, F., Sidanius, J., Stallworth, L. M., & Malle, B. F. Social dominance orientation: A personality variable predicting social and political attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1994.

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