Construction and validation of a corruption perception scale at the citizen level

Abstract The study described the creation and validation of the Corruption Perception Scale (CPS), which assesses how citizens perceive corruption. In a qualitative step, the instrument was evaluated by experts, followed by a pre-test. In the quantitative step, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed, totaling a sample of 1,075 cases. Finally, a methodology for the application of CPS was suggested. The final structure of the measure was composed of five dimensions at the individual level (knowledge, behavior, reflexes, control, and attitude), which position the citizen as the protagonist in the analysis of the phenomenon.