The Sense of Community (SCI) Index Revised: The Reliability and the Validity of the SCI-2

David M. Chavis & Kien Lee Association for the Study and Development of Community Joie Acosta RAND Corporation Washington, DC

Association for the Study and Development of Community

Background

• The 12-item SCI is theory based • Short and easy to administer • It has had adequate reliability and strong validity. • Relations established with behaviors, community conditions, and psychological well being • Has been used successfully cross culturally

Association for the Study and Development of Community

Concerns

• Subscales have inconsistent reliability • The true-false response set has limited variability.

• Its adequacy as a cross-cultural measure has been questioned.

• Not easily adaptable across settings • Did not reflect more recent research findings

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SCI-2

• ASDC research team created SCI-2, which covered the same attributes in the original theory, plus recent findings. • SCI-2 has 24 items and a likert-like scale (

0=not at all

, 1=

somewhat

, 2=

mostly

, 3=

completely

). • Original draft was piloted with 36 people in seven different cultural and organizational settings in Maryland and Hawaii.

• Pilot-test participants were asked to answer the questions with a certain setting in mind. • Strong reliability was found. (.944, n=36) • Some item statements were rephrased based on piloting study participant suggestions.

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SCI-2 Items

• – Reinforcement of needs I get important needs of mine met because I am part of this community.

– – Community members and I value the same things.

This community has been successful in getting the needs of its members met.

– – Being a member of this community makes me feel good.

When I have a problem, I can talk about it with members of this community.

– People in this community have similar needs, priorities, and goals.

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SCI 2 Items (cont’d)

• Membership – I can trust people in this community.

– I can recognize most of the members of this community.

– Most community members know me.

– This community has symbols and expressions of membership such as clothes, signs, art, architecture, logos, landmarks, and flags that people can recognize.

– I put a lot of time and effort into being part of this community.

– Being a member of this community is a part of my identity.

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SCI 2 Items (cont’d)

• Influence – Fitting into this community is important to me.

– This community can influence other communities.

– I care about what other community members think of me.

– I have influence over what this community is like.

– If there is a problem in this community, members can get it solved.

– This community has good leaders.

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SCI 2 Items (cont’d)

• Shared emotional connection – It is very important to me to be a part of this community.

– I am with other community members a lot and enjoy being with them.

– I expect to be a part of this community for a long time.

– Members of this community have shared important events together, such as holidays, celebrations, or disasters.

– I feel hopeful about the future of this community.

– Members of this community care about each other.

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Testing of SCI-2

• 1,800 immigrants and receiving community members in 19 geographic areas across Colorado state, selected using a a stratified snowball sampling method. • Participants were given a $15 gift card.

• Trained and bilingual interviewers administered the questionnaire.

• Questionnaire was on optical scan form available in English and Spanish languages. • Setting where immigrants and receiving community members most frequently interacted was the referent.

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Sample

• A 88.5 % response rate (1,594 people [753 immigrants and 841 receiving community members]).

• Immigrants were primarily people who self-identified as Mexican or Hispanic/Latino and Spanish-speaking or bilingual; majority 34 years old and younger.

• Receiving community members were primarily people who self-identified as American and Hispanic/Latino; majority 35 years old and older.

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Results

Difference between average SCI-2 score for immigrant and receiving community (38.8

vs.

37.4) (

p

< 0.05) Common Immigrant-Receiving Community Settings Workplace Neighborhood Immigrant % 41.2

13.7

Receiving Community % 35.0

16.8

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Reliability of SCI-2



= .940

Receiving Community Immigrant  = .946

 =.938

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Validity of SCI-2

The validity of the SCI-2 was determined by its relationship to • Life satisfaction • Civic and political participation • Cultural and community participation

Association for the Study and Development of Community

Validity of SCI-2

Correlation with life satisfaction .320 (

p

< .01 level, 2-tailed) Correlation with civic and political participation .315 (

p

< .01 level, 2-tailed) Correlation with cultural and social participation .381 (

p

< .01 level, 2-tailed)

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Conclusion

• SCI-2 appears to be reliable and valid across cultures, languages, and settings.

• Where to download?

www.senseofcommunity.com

www.capablecommunity.com

[email protected]

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