Institutional Social Cynicism Scale: Preliminary Validation in Adults

Social cynicism influences individuals’ behaviors and interpersonal interactions, with excessive social cynicism potentially compromising the quality of life. To address this within the Pakistani context, it was aimed to develop the Institutional Social Cynicism Scale (ISCS) by focusing on the institutional aspects of social cynicism. Following an exploratory sequential design, three studies were conducted from March to July 2023. Study I (n = 39) generated qualitative data for initial item generation, while Study II (n = 304) and Study III (n = 367) were conducted to evaluate the scale’s construct validity and reliability indices. The final 20-item scale encompasses six factors and demonstrates strong psychometric properties, including robust discriminant validity through significant correlations with core self-evaluations, life satisfaction, and personality traits. The analysis emphasizes the ISCS’s cultural relevance and applicability, establishing it as a critical assessment tool for understanding the sources and dynamics of institutional social cynicism within our diverse indigenous context.