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Legal cynicism refers to a negative attitude toward the law and justice. Research indicates that this construct includes several subdimensions, such as antipathy toward the law, perceptions of corruption, and a lack of legitimacy. How should this multidimensionality be addressed in empirical studies? Should the subdimensions be treated as distinct but related constructs, or is it sufficient to consider legal cynicism as a unidimensional construct? Are measurements of legal cynicism comparable across different sociodemographic characteristics? These questions were explored through analyses of data from two German studies (Sample 1, n = 342, 54.4% male, mean age 32.7; Sample 2, n = 334, 49.4% male, mean age 46.07). |
| The results suggest that the multidimensional nature of legal cynicism should be considered in empirical research to avoid losing nuanced insights from the subdimensions in a simplified overall view. Additionally, it was found that measurements of legal cynicism are comparable across age groups (18-49 vs. 50-74), genders (male vs. female), and education levels (low vs. high). The expected associations between legal cynicism and factors such as low self-control, personal morals, and deviant behavior were also confirmed.
Seddig, D. (2024). Assessment of the dimensionality and comparability in legal cynicism measurement. Justice Quarterly, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2024.2393197 |
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