Psychological insight into corruption: construction and validation of the Corrupt Intention Scale (CIS)

Abstract

Background: Corruption, as a psychosocial problem, impacts institutional stability and interpersonal trust. From a psychological perspective, the study of this phenomenon has focused on analyzing corrupt behavior. However, empirical evidence on the measurement of corrupt behavior remains limited due to its covert nature. An alternative strategy is to assess corrupt intent, as it allows inferring behavioral patterns without resorting to direct observation of these acts. Objective: The aim of this study was to construct and validate the Corrupt Intention Scale (CIS), taking the theory of planned behavior as a framework. Methods: We conducted a multiple study with a total of 1, 488 Peruvian adults. Multivariate statistical techniques such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used. Results: We found that the CIS presented evidence of internal structure validity for a 12-item model grouped into three correlated factors. It showed measurement invariance with respect to sex, convergent validity and satisfactory reliability. Conclusion: The CIS presents psychometric properties that support its use to measure corrupt intent, and can be used in evaluation, research and prevention contexts. In a global context where corruption remains a critical challenge, reliable and valid measures strengthen the basis for future research and mitigation programs.