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Social Dominance Orientation Scale

Social Dominance Orientation Scale Test

Understand attitudes toward social hierarchy across groups in about 2 minutes. Ten quick items deliver reliable, research-ready insight to support education, counseling, or DEI work.

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Questions: 102 minutes

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08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

12,756 views

1,213 completions

1,039 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

3/7

Anti-Egalitarianism (AE)

Measures the extent to which a person rejects equality between social groups and endorses group-based hierarchy.

Egalitarian

Mixed/Moderate

Anti-egalitarian

1 – 2: Egalitarian | 2.1 – 4.4: Mixed/Moderate | 4.5 – 7: Anti-egalitarian

A score of 3 falls in the Mixed/Moderate range, suggesting a generally balanced stance with limited endorsement of group-based inequality.

example score

4/7

Social Dominance Orientation (SDO)

This scale measures the extent to which a person supports or rejects social hierarchy and inequality between groups.

Egalitarian

Mixed/Neutral

Hierarchy-supporting

1 – 2.3: Egalitarian | 2.4 – 4.4: Mixed/Neutral | 4.5 – 7: Hierarchy-supporting

A score of 4 falls in the Mixed/Neutral range, suggesting a moderate or context-dependent stance toward social hierarchy and group-based inequality.

example score

3/7

Dominance (D)

Measures the extent to which a person endorses group-based hierarchy and the superiority of some groups over others.

Low dominance endorsement

Moderate dominance endorsement

High dominance endorsement

1 – 2.3: Low dominance endorsement | 2.4 – 4.8: Moderate dominance endorsement | 4.9 – 7: High dominance endorsement

A score of 3 falls in the moderate range, suggesting a mixed or situationally dependent stance toward group-based dominance rather than strong support or strong rejection.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Social science students

41%OF USERS

They take it to explore how beliefs about social hierarchy relate to attitudes toward different groups in class projects or research.

Diversity and inclusion professionals

34%OF USERS

They use it to understand baseline views on group inequality and tailor training or conflict-prevention efforts.

Curious self-reflectors

25%OF USERS

They take it to see whether they lean toward equality or hierarchy when thinking about race, gender, class, and other groups.

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

Benchmarking

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.

Antiegalitarianism (A)

Average

4.4

Normal range

3.5 — 5.2

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.

Social Dominance Orientation Scale (SDOS)

Average

3.1

Normal range

2.2 — 4.1

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.

Dominance (D)

Average

3.7

Normal range

2.8 — 4.5

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 attitudes toward social hierarchy and group-based inequality. It assesses endorsement of dominance of some groups over others across multiple social contexts.

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

Completion typically takes about 2 minutes. The questionnaire includes 10 statements.

How should responses be given?

Rate each statement by indicating the level of agreement or disagreement. Answer all items based on general views rather than a single event.

What do higher and lower scores indicate?

Higher scores indicate stronger support for group-based hierarchy and inequality. Lower scores indicate stronger preference for group equality and reduced hierarchy.

How should results be interpreted and used?

Scores describe attitudes and are not a diagnosis or a measure of personal worth. Interpretation should consider context and other relevant information.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Social Dominance Orientation Scale Test - Symptoms and Signs

ethnopsychology intergroup relations social attitudes

This brief self-report measure assesses individual differences in preferences for group-based hierarchy and inequality. The Social Dominance Orientation Scale is used to quantify endorsement of social hierarchies across social groups and contexts.

Respondents rate their agreement with statements reflecting support for dominance of some groups over others and opposition to equality-oriented policies. The measure contains 10 items and typically takes about 2 minutes to complete; it is commonly used in research and applied settings to examine intergroup attitudes and related social beliefs.

In interpreting results, higher scores generally indicate stronger endorsement of hierarchical group relations, whereas lower scores suggest greater support for egalitarian relations. The Social Dominance Orientation Scale was developed by Felicia Pratto and Jim Sidanius and is intended to be administered and interpreted within appropriate ethical and cultural considerations.

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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