The Activism Orientation Scale (AOS) is a 35-item scale that assesses activist propensity across social action behaviors, ideological positions, and movement issues. 28 items capture Conventional Activism and 7 items capture High-Risk Activism which include actions such as putting one's own safety at risk or committing an illegal action as a form of protest.
Categories
Geographies Tested: United States of America
Populations Included: Female, Male
Age Range: Adolescents, Adults
Items:
Display a poster or bumper sticker with a political message?
Invite a friend to attend a meeting of a political organization or event?
Purchase a poster, t-shirt, etc. that endorses a political point of view?
Serve as an officer in a political organization?
Engage in a political activity in which you knew you would be arrested?
Attend an informational meeting of a political group?
Organize a political event (e.g., talk, support group, march)?
Give a lecture or talk about a social or political issue?
Go out of your way to collect information on a social or political issue?
Campaign door-to-door for a political candidate?
Present facts to contest another person’s social or political statement?
Donate money to a political candidate?
Vote in a non-presidential federal, state, or local election?
Engage in a physical confrontation at a political rally?
Send a letter or e-mail expressing a political opinion to the editor of a periodical or television show?
Engage in a political activity in which you feared that some of your possessions would be damaged?
Engage in an illegal act as part of a political protest?
Confront jokes, statements, or innuendoes that opposed a particular group’s cause?
Boycott a product for political reasons?
Distribute information representing a particular social or political group’s cause?
Engage in a political activity in which you suspect there would be a confrontation with the police or possible arrest?
Send a letter or e-mail about a political issue to a public official?
Attend a talk on a particular group’s social or political concerns?
Attend a political organization’s regular planning meeting?
Sign a petition for a political cause?
Encourage a friend to join a political organization?
Try to change a friend’s or acquaintance’s mind about a social or political issue?
Block access to a building or public area with your body?
Donate money to a political organization?
Try to change a relative’s mind about a social or political issue?
Wear a t-shirt or button with a political message?
Keep track of the views of members of Congress regarding an issue important to you?
Participate in discussion groups designed to discuss issues or solutions of a particular social or political group?
Campaign by phone for a political candidate?
Engage in a political activity in which you feared for your personal safety?
Total scores summed across items can range from 0 to 105; higher scores indicate a greater willingness to engage in activist behaviors.
Original Citation
Corning, A. F., & Myers, D. J. (2002). Individual Orientation Toward Engagement in Social Action. Political Psychology, 23(4), 703-729. https://doi.org/10.1111/0162-895X.00304