Validity evidence for a short measure of left-wing authoritarianism among Brazilian adults and adolescents

Abstract Background Left-Wing Authoritarianism (LWA) has received increasing attention in recent years, yet research on the construct remains limited by the scarcity of instruments validated across different cultures and across the lifespan. Although multidimensional measures of LWA have recently been proposed, no validated Brazilian-Portuguese instrument is currently available. The present study aimed to develop and validate a short Brazilian-Portuguese measure of LWA for use with both adults and adolescents. Drawing on a multidimensional conceptualization, the proposed instrument assessed three LWA dimensions: Anti-Hierarchical Aggression (support for coercive action against dominant groups), Anti-Conventionalism (rejection of traditional norms), and Top-Down Censorship (support for authorities restricting unacceptable views). Methods In Study 1, 764 adults completed the original 39-item LWA instrument. Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling was used to identify the three highest-loading items from each dimension, resulting in a 9-item version of the scale. In Study 2, the resulting instrument was administered to 308 adolescents, and its three-factor structure was evaluated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results Results supported the proposed three-dimensional structure across both studies, as the abbreviated measure demonstrated adequate factor loadings and internal consistency estimates. Evidence for criterion validity was also observed across both studies. All LWA dimensions were negatively associated with Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation, and positively associated with left-wing political self-categorization. In Study 1, the LWA dimensions were also negatively associated with prejudice toward dissident and derogated groups and positively associated with pro-environmental attitudes. Conclusions The findings thus provide evidence for the reliability and validity of a brief multidimensional measure of LWA in the Brazilian context.