Normless anomie index (NLAI): Construction and validation

Abstract

This article presents the results of constructing and validating the “Normless anomie index” (NLAI) sociological test, designed to measure the level of anomie among Russian-speaking and Ukrainian-speaking respondents. The theoretical validity of NLAI is based on an understanding of anomie that was proposed and detailed in the works of R. Merton. The content of the index is based on normless indicators presented in the articles of D. Dean, G. McCloskey and J. Shaar, as well as indicators presented in this article. The study is based on data from two surveys (November 2018, N = 600; April 2019, N = 600), which represent the adult population of Ukraine according to such parameters as age, gender, type of settlement and region of residence. For the purpose of empirical validation, the factor structure of the theoretical construct was analyzed (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis) and construct validity was confirmed based on indicators that describe respondents’ political consciousness and their social well-being (correlation analysis). Three versions of NLAI were tested: 1) based on indicators claiming the existence of norms, as well as based on indicators claiming the opposite (survey conducted in 2018); 2) based on indicators claiming only the absence of norms, with more specific wording (survey conducted in 2019); 3) based on indicators claiming only the absence of norms, with more abstract wording (survey conducted in 2019). A conclusion is made about the higher quality of the second version of NLAI. A classifier of answers to the NLAI indicators is proposed, which allows for categorizing respondents into four groups: anomic (predominance of answers which indicate the absence of norms), ambivalent (there are answers indicating both the absence of norms and their presence), undefined (answers prevail which indicate the absence of a clear position) and non-anomic (prevailing answers indicating the presence of norms).