The Bogardus Social Distance Scale (BSDS) is a psychological tool used to measure the degree of social distance between individuals or groups. It was developed by Ernest W. Bogardus in 1925 and is still widely used today to measure attitudes towards different groups, including race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation (Bogardus, 1925).
The BSDS is a 6-point Likert scale that assesses a person’s willingness to interact with members of different groups and their perceived social distance. The scale ranges from “very close” (1) to “very distant” (6). The higher the score on the scale, the greater the social distance between the individual and the group. Previous research has found that attitudes towards different groups can vary significantly depending on the social context, and the BSDS is an effective way to measure these attitudes (Leyens, 2002).
The BSDS has been extensively studied and validated in a variety of contexts. In one study, Leyens et al. (2002) used the BSDS to measure the perceived social distance between Belgian and French students. The results showed that the students had significantly different attitudes towards each other, with the French students expressing greater social distance than the Belgians. The study also found that the BSDS was a reliable and valid measure of social distance.
In another study, Verkuyten and Hagendoorn (2006) used the BSDS to measure the social distance between Dutch and Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands. The results showed that the Dutch participants had significantly higher social distance towards the Turkish participant group than the Turkish participants. The study concluded that the BSDS is an effective tool for measuring the social distance between different groups.
Overall, the Bogardus Social Distance Scale is a reliable and valid tool for measuring social distance between individuals or groups. The scale has been widely used in research and has been shown to be sensitive to changes in attitudes towards different groups.
References
Bogardus, E. W. (1925). Social distances in the United States. Sociology and Social Research, 9(5), 433-440.
Leyens, J. P., Paladino, M. P., Rodriguez, A., Vaes, J., Gaunt, R., & Demoulin, S. (2002). Intergroup emotions and attitudes: The mediating role of social distance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28(8), 1087-1098.
Verkuyten, M., & Hagendoorn, L. (2006). Social distance between the Dutch majority and Turkish minority in the Netherlands: The role of intergroup emotions. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 30(6), 805-820.