The Multidimensional Nature of Social Cohesion: Psychological Sense of Community, Attraction, and Neighboring

Abstract

Items from the Neighborhood Cohesion Instrument were completed by 1,732 individuals from a random sample of households in 20 rural communities across Canada during the summer of 2001. Confirmatory factor analysis of the NCI items based on polychoric correlations and weighted least squares estimation found three underlying latent variables. Although items were related to the three latent variables in a somewhat different manner than they were in Buckner's original study, the same three latent variables were evident, providing convincing evidence that social cohesion has at least three subscales: psychological sense of community, neighboring, and attraction. Correlations between subscales were relatively high (between .67 and .87). Intraclass correlation coefficients for the three scales were .115, .127, and .112. In addition, the community means differed on different subscales in a manner that related to recognized characteristics of the communities. Thus the subscales are appropriate measures for both individuals and communities and can be recommended for further research on social cohesion.

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