Social Psychology Research

The construction and validation of the Social Status Seeking Scale (4S) and its relationship with Social Distinction seeking

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Morad Abdivarmazan 1
Heman Mahmoudfakhe 2
Mona Saffarinia 3

1 Professor assistant, Psychology Department. Azad University. Tehran South Branch, Tehran, Iran.

2 . Professor Assistant, Department of Psychology, University of Payam-E-Noor, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Psychology, University of Payam-E-Noor, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/spr.2026.533926.2158
Abstract
Introduction: Status-seeking as a motivation drives many human behaviors. The aim of the present study was to construct and validate a scale for measuring social status-seeking and to determine its relationship with social distinction.
Method: This study was conducted using a mixed-method approach in three stages. In the first stage, the study population included all articles published in the field of social status-seeking between 2015 and 2025. The study sample consisted of 95 articles that were systematically reviewed, from which 130 items were extracted. After content validity assessment by experts and calculation of the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI), 72 items remained. In the second stage, the approved items were compiled into an electronic scale (Google Form) and administered to 151 Iranian social media users (aged 16 to 70 years). The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and reduced to 29 items. In the third stage, the remaining items were re-administered, and 4,457 valid responses were obtained, which were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis.
Findings: The final scale consisted of 22 items in the form of 3 factors, explaining 59% of the variance of the social status-seeking construct.
Conclusion: The Social Status-Seeking Scale is a valid instrument for measuring the motivation to attain social status. Assessing its relationship with social distinction indicated the criterion validity of the scale.

Keywords

Scale
Validation
Social Status Seeking
Social Distinction Seeking
Subjects
Social Psychology Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 12 June 2026

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