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Neighborhood Cohesion
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About Neighborhood Cohesion
Scale Name
Neighborhood Cohesion
Author Details
Douglas D. Perkins, Paul Florin, and David M. Rich (1990), adapted by the Houston Community Demonstration Project (1993)
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The Neighborhood Cohesion scale, originally developed by Douglas D. Perkins, Paul Florin, and David M. Rich in 1990 and adapted by the Houston Community Demonstration Project in 1993, is a resident-report questionnaire designed to measure the extent to which urban residents feel a sense of belonging in their neighborhood and share the same values as their neighbors. Targeting urban residents aged 18 and older, the scale was developed to assess social cohesion as a protective factor against community disorganization and crime. Cited in Dahlberg et al. (2005), it aligns with social capital theory (Coleman, 1988) and social disorganization theory (Shaw & McKay, 1942), evaluating how neighborhood connectedness fosters community well-being.
The scale comprises 8 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = “strongly disagree” to 5 = “strongly agree”). Examples include “I feel a strong sense of belonging to my neighborhood” and “My neighbors and I share similar values.” Scores are summed (range: 8-40), with higher scores indicating greater neighborhood cohesion. Validated in urban samples, it is used to assess social cohesion, predict community engagement, and inform community-based interventions.
Psychologists, sociologists, and public health researchers use the scale to evaluate neighborhood social dynamics, study protective factors against violence, and design community programs. Its brevity is a strength, but moderate internal consistency and English-only availability may limit reliability and cross-cultural use.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the scale from authorized sources, such as Dahlberg et al. (2005) Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths or Houston Community Demonstration Project publications, ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses feelings of belonging and shared values in the neighborhood to support community well-being, emphasizing anonymity and using clear, non-judgmental language.
- Provide instructions, asking residents to rate their agreement with statements about neighborhood cohesion over the past month, using the 5-point scale.
- Approximate time for completion is 2-3 minutes, given the 8-item format.
- Administer in a community, household, or research setting, using paper or digital formats, ensuring a private environment. Oral administration may be used for residents with reading difficulties.
Reliability and Validity
The Neighborhood Cohesion scale has moderate psychometric properties, as reported in Dahlberg et al. (2005). Internal consistency is moderate, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.68, indicating acceptable but limited item cohesion, likely due to the small number of items and diverse aspects of cohesion. Test-retest reliability is not reported, but stability is inferred to be moderate based on similar social cohesion measures (r ≈ 0.60-0.80 over weeks).
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with related constructs, such as increased community engagement (r ≈ 0.30-0.50) and reduced neighborhood crime (r ≈ -0.20 to -0.40). Discriminant validity is inferred from weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, like individual income (r < 0.30). Criterion validity is demonstrated by its use in predicting positive community outcomes in urban studies. Factor analyses are not detailed, but the scale’s unidimensional focus on cohesion supports construct validity. The moderate reliability suggests cautious use, ideally paired with validated measures like the Collective Efficacy scale (Sampson et al., 1997).
Available Versions
08-Items
Reference
Dahlberg, L. L., Toal, S. B., Swahn, M. H., & Behrens, C. B. (2005). Measuring violence-related attitudes, behaviors, and influences among youths: A compendium of assessment tools. Centers for disease control and prevention.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Neighborhood Cohesion scale measure?
It measures residents’ sense of belonging and shared values in their neighborhood.
Who can use the scale?
Psychologists, sociologists, and public health researchers studying urban residents aged 18+.
How long does the scale take to complete?
It takes about 2-3 minutes.
Is the scale specific to certain groups?
It targets urban residents aged 18 and older.
Can the scale inform interventions?
Yes, but moderate reliability (α = 0.68) suggests use with validated measures.
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