The Wilson–Patterson Conservatism Scale (abbreviated W–P conservatism scale) is a widely used

survey Survey may refer to: Statistics and human research * Statistical survey, a method for collecting quantitative information about items in a population * Survey (human research), including opinion polls Spatial measurement * Surveying, the techniq ...

instrument intended to measure respondents'

political ideology An ideology is a set of beliefs or philosophies attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely epistemic, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones." Formerly applied pri ...

in terms of

liberalism Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...

and

conservatism Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

. It is named after Glenn Wilson and John Patterson, who developed the scale and first described it in a 1968 paper. Many alternative, shorter versions of the scale have been proposed and used since the initial form was developed, and the scale itself has changed its format and questions since it was first created. Among the most common scales used to measure respondents' conservatism is the Wilson–Patterson Attitude Inventory, a modified version of the original W–P scale proposed by Wilson himself in 1975.

References

1968 introductions Political science terminology Survey methodology {{polisci-stub