The Stealing Behaviour Scale: Psychometric Validation and Factorial Structure in Addiction Recovery

Abstract

The act of taking someone else’s property without the intention of returning it is known as stealing. While this concept is important in clinical contexts, there has been a lack of empirical studies measuring it. This research developed and validated the Stealing Behaviour Scale (SBS). The analysis included data from 200 adults seeking treatment and individuals from the general population in Punjab, India, using tetrachoric Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). This led to a two-factor, 12-item structure that explained 61.52% of the total variance. The two identified factors—the Behavioral-Action Dimension of Stealing and the Cognitive-Affective Justification Dimension—demonstrated high interpersonal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .904). The overall reliability coefficient (α = .904) indicates that the Stealing Behaviour Scale is a robust psychometric tool suitable for both research and practical use. Additionally, the subscale reliability scores above .86 underscore that the two dimensions are internally consistent yet distinct from one another. The validated Stealing Behavior Scale provides clinicians with a dependable and theoretically sound instrument to measure stealing behaviour as a potential character defect or behavioural manifestation associated with various forms of addiction, including gaming addiction, substance use disorders, and other compulsive behavioural patterns.