Feelings About Neighborhood

Abstract: Feelings About Neighborhood is a questionnaire developed for Fast Track that was modified from one described by Sampson et al. (1997) to measure “informal social control” and “social cohesion and trust.” These two dimensions were later collapsed into a single latent construct (“Collective Efficacy”). In the Sampson et al. (1997) paper, five items measured “informal social control” by obtaining ratings of the likelihood of neighbor intervention under specific circumstances; items were rated on a 5-point scale. In the Fast Track study, “informal social control” was measured by three of these items rated on a 4-point scale (Very Unlikely, Unlikely, Likely, Very Likely). Scenarios included estimates of neighbor intervention when youth in the neighborhood skipped school, spray-painted graffiti on local buildings, or showed disrespect to others. “Social cohesion and trust” in the Sampson et al. (1997) paper was again measured by five items on a 5-point scale; in the Fast Track study, items were reworded and a 5-point scale was used (Strong Disagree, Disagree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree). Two items were also added (“People in your neighborhood watch out for one another” and “Given the opportunity, you would like to move out of this neighborhood”). A total scale score was developed after reverse-scoring item 10 (“Given the opportunity, you would like to move out of this neighborhood”). Since items measuring “informal social control” and “social cohesion and trust” were rated utilizing different scales, ratings were standardized (M=0.0, SD=1.0). Item z-scores were averaged to yield a score reflecting Collective Efficacy. Although there is a slight negative skew in the normative and control samples, the Collective Efficacy scale is fairly normally distributed.

Who Completed this Measure?: select one

Cohort 1 - Administrative History

  • Year 11 | grade 10 | age 16
  • Year 12 | grade 11 | age 17

Cohort 2 - Administrative History

  • Year 11 | grade 10 | age 16
  • Year 12 | grade 11 | age 17

Cohort 3 - Administrative History

  • Year 11 | grade 10 | age 16
  • Year 12 | grade 11 | age 17

Technical Reports:

Raw Dataset Name: CxAZ

Scored Dataset Name: FANySCc

Keywords:
Community Identification, Community Responsibility, Neighborhood Involvement,

Is this Measure Available for Public Use?: Yes

Obtain Measure:
Download the measure here

SAS Code for Scale Creation:
Download the code here

Measure Items and Scales:

COHORT Cohort
TCID Child's ID Number
C11AZ5 You have a sense of belonging to your neighborhood.
C11AZ6 You feel loyal to the people in your neighborhood.
C11AZ7 You would be willing to work together with others on something to improve your neighborhood.
C11AZ8 You like to think of yourself as similar to the people who live in this neighborhood.
C11AZ9 Overall, you are happy living in this neighborhood.
C11AZ10 Given the opportunity, you would like to move out of this neighborhood.
C11AZ11 People in your neighborhood look out for each other.
C11AZ12 If a group of kids in your neighborhood were skipping school and hanging out on a street corner, how likely is it that your neighbors would do something about it?
C11AZ13 If some kids were spray-painting graffiti on a local house or building, how likely is it that your neighbors would do something about it?
C11AZ14 If a kid was showing disrespect to an adult, how likely is it that people in your neighborhood would scold or reprimand him or her?