Validity Evidence of the Critical Consciousness Scale short version

De Andrade, Alexsandro Luiz; Nunes, Juliana Pereira Rodrigues; Melo, Mariana Ramos de; Pedruzzi, Pâmela Fardin

doi:10.1590/1982-0275202643e15139

RESEARCH REPORT | Psychological Assessment • Estud. psicol. 43 • 2026 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-0275202643e15139 linkcopy

Validity Evidence of the Critical Consciousness Scale short version

Evidências de Validade da versão reduzida da Critical Consciousness Scale

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

This study aimed to develop a shortened version of the Critical Consciousness Scale, making the assessment of psychosocial studies’ constructs faster and more efficient. Critical consciousness is an individual or collective ability to critically review the social structures’ organization and their oppression perpetuation as well as their maintenance of power; they were viewed based on the thoughts of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. In the field of psychological measurement and research, critical consciousness can be understood as a gradual process that begins with reflection and culminates in transformative action, which can be assessed using the Critical Consciousness Scale. The study sample consisted of three waves of a survey data collection covering 1,322 Brazilian adult respondents. Experts’ review procedures, followed by factorial and invariance analysis strategies, resulted in a 12-item reduced version of the measure, covering the dimensions of Critical Reflection (α = 0.93), Critical Responsibility (α = 0.73), and Critical Action (α = 0.84). Evidence of external validity showed correlations with aspects of social class, marginalization, economic constraints, and decent work. In our study we discussed the perspectives regarding the instrument’s use in the different fields of pure and applied social sciences.

Keywords
Psychometrics; Social Class; Social inequality; Social justice

Items	CFO	C (%)	CR	CRe	CA
I realize that some racial and/or ethnic groups (such as Black people, indigenous people, etc.) have less chance of “having a future”	0.90	100	0.73
I realize that women have less chance of getting good working conditions	0.84	100	0.81
I realize that poor people have less chance of getting good working conditions	0.94	100	0.96
I realize that poor people have less chance of “having a future”	0.94	100	0.97
It’s important for younger people to know what’s going on in the world	0.56	100		0.73
It is important to be an informed and active citizen	0.82	100		0.74
It is important to seek to correct social and economic inequalities	0.80	100		0.70
It is my responsibility to get involved and do better things for society	0.52	100		0.78
Participated in some type of political movement or organization	0.77	100			0.82
Contacted any government department to communicate any type of dissatisfaction	0.84	100			0.73
Participated in any protest or demonstration in defense of better conditions	0.77	100			0.87
Signed a petition about some social or political issue	0.62	100			0.73
Variance by factor			45%	16%	13%

Collect			χ²/gl	RMSEA (90% CI)	CFI	NFI	SRMR
C2 (N = 463)			2.02	0.05 (0.03–0.06)	0.98	0.96	0.04
C3 (N = 453)			3.68	0.08 (0.07–0.09)	0.92	0.90	0.06
Model Fit Indices by Group			RMSEA	SRMR	GFI	CFI	ߡCFI
Collection Type: In-Person x On-line (N = 548)
	Configural		0.07 (0.06–0.08)	0.05	0.93	0.95	–
	Metric		0.07 (0.06–0.08)	0.06	0.93	0.95	0.000
	Scalar		0.07 (0.06–0.08)	0.05	1.00	0.95	0.000
Gender: Man x Woman (N = 543)
	Configural		0.07 (0.06–0.09)	0.06	0.92	0.94	–
	Metric		0.07 (0.06–0.08)	0.06	0.92	0.94	0.000
	Scalar		0.07 (0.06–0.08)	0.06	0.92	0.94	0.000
	Strict		0.00 (0.00–0.00)	0.06	1.01	1.00	0.000
Color: Black x White (N = 534)
	Configural		0.07 (0.06–0.08)	0.05	0.93	0.95	–
	Metric		0.07 (0.06–0.09)	0.06	0.93	0.93	0.01
	Scalar		0.07 (0.06–0.08)	0.06	0.99	0.94	0.01
Social class: High vs. Low (N = 440)
		Configural	0.08 (0.06–0.09)	0.06	0.91	0.94
		Metric	0.08 (0.07–0.09)	0.07	0.90	0.93	0.001
		Scalar	0.0 8(0.07–0.09)	0.06	0.99	0.93	0.000
Accuracy/Reliability tests
Factor	Alfa Cronbach				Omega
Factor	C1		C2	C3	C1	C2	C3
F1	0.70		0.90	0.89	0.83	0.90	0.89
F2	0.62		0.75	0.62	0.64	0.75	0.61
F3	0.81		0.82	0.73	0.81	0.82	0.72

Variables	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6
1. Ref_C. Full	4.40	1.39	1
2. Ref_C. Red.	4.28	1.49	0.96^**	1
3. Res_C. Full	4.56	0.66	0.10^*	0.08^*	1
4. Res_C. Red.	5.65	0.98	0.17^**	0.15^**	0.80^**	1
5. C.A. Full	2.16	0.78	0.39^**	0.37^**	-0.04	0.14^**	1
6. C.A. Red.	1.70	0.73	0.27^**	0.26^**	-0.01	0.11^**	0.86^**	1

Variables	M	DP	1	2	3	4	5	6
1. Critical reflection	4.28 [4.73]	1.49 [1.43]	1
2. Critical responsibility	5.65 [5.66]	0.98 [.0.63]	0.15^* [0.22^*]	1
3. Critical action	1.70 [1.95]	0.73 [0.90]	0.26^* [0.27^*]	0.11^* [0.09^*]	1
4. Social Class	5.56 [4.70]	1.75 [2.29]	-0.18^* [-0.28^*]	0.03 [0.01]	0.01 [-0.12^*]	1
5. Marginalization in life	2.64 [3.46]	1.61 [1.92]	0.23^* [0.32^*]	-0.07 [-0.01]	0.11* [0.25^*]	-0.24^* [-0.27^*]	1
6. Economic constraints	3.05 [3.80]	1.61 [1.85]	0.04 [0.19^*]	-0.07 [0.05]	-0.01 [0.20^*]	-0.35^* [-0.30^*]	0.32^* [0.56^*]	1

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Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas Editora Splendet, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas, Campus I, Rua Prof. Dr. Euryclides de Jesus Zerbini, 1516, Pq. Rural Fazenda Santa Cândida, Telefone: (55 19) 3343-7223. - Campinas - SP - Brazil
E-mail: psychologicalstudies@puc-campinas.edu.br

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[1] Note: CA: Critical Action; CR: Critical Reflection; CRe: Critical Responsibility.