A test of construct isomorphism of the Belief in a Zero-Sum Game scale: A multilevel 43-nation study

Abstract

BackgroundWe examined the equivalence of the individual and the country-level factor structure of the Belief in a Zero-Sum Game (BZSG) scale, a tool designed to measure antagonistic beliefs about social relations (i.e., perceived social antagonism) in the struggle for limited resources.AimsIn this article we focused on a test of construct isomorphism in a multilevel modeling approach. It was hypothesized that the BZSG measure satisfies all requirements for a strong level of configural isomorphism, and thus that it is useful to investigate BZSG at both the individual and the country levels. The relationships between the BZSG at a country level with other macro-socio-economic indicators were also investigated.MethodMultilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) was carried out on a cross-country sample composed of 11,368 participants from 43 different countries. We also used the country-level latent BZSG factor in each country as an indicator of a property that we attributed to a particular culture: cultural dimension (collectivism-individualism), macroeconomic indicators (GDP per capita and GNI per capita) and macrosocial indicators (Human Development Index and Democracy Index) describing societies.ResultsThe results revealed an isomorphic factor structure of perceived social antagonism (measured by BZSG scale), defined in terms of the equivalence factor structure at the both individual and country levels. Furthermore, the relationship between the perceived social antagonism, gross national income per capita, and collectivism were confirmed.ConclusionsOur study supports the usefulness of the BZSG scale for cross-cultural comparison, in the case of its isomorphic structure. At the country level, antagonistic beliefs emerge in hierarchical collectivist societies with lower income. The main contribution of this article is the presentation of the test of construct isomorphism. We made an effort to present a full perspective on construct isomorphism putting together two different but very recent approaches.

A Warrior Society: Data From 30 Countries Show That Belief in a Zero-Sum Game Is Related to Military Expenditure and Low Civil Liberties

“…The results also revealed an isomorphic factor structure of the BZSG scale, defined in terms of the equivalence factor structure at both the individual and country levels (Różycka-Tran et al, 2018a).…”

Personal relative deprivation and the belief that economic success is zero-sum.

“…Viewing life as zero-sum is associated with many adverse consequences, including reduced trust, lower subjective wellbeing, diminished faith in democracy, and a general sense that the social system is illegitimate and unjust (Piotrowski et al, 2019; Różycka-Tran et al, 2015, 2018, 2019a, 2019b; Shin & Kim, 2018). Among other things, zero-sum thinking has been linked to various forms of prejudice, including a belief that immigrants benefit at the expense of a country’s citizens (Davidai & Ongis, 2019; Esses et al, 2001; Louis et al, 2013), that racial minorities benefit at the majority’s expense (Norton & Sommers, 2011; Wilkins et al, 2015), and that women advance at men’s expense (Kehn & Ruthig, 2013; Wilkins et al, 2015).…”

Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile: A Review of How Collectivistic Cultures Compete More Than Individualistic Cultures

“…Researchers tested people's zero-sum beliefs in over 40 countries (Różycka-Tran, Alessandri, Jurek, & Olech, 2018;Różycka-Tran et al, 2015). They found that people in collectivistic cultures and lower-income nations were more likely to endorse zero-sum beliefs.…”