Development and Psychometric Validation of the Perceived Marginalization Scale (PMS): A Multidimensional Psychometric Investigation in the Indian Context

Perceived marginalization constitutes a critical psychological determinant of social cohesion, mental health, and intergroup dynamics. While the construct has been extensively operationalized in Western contexts, existing measures often fail to capture the nuanced, structurally embedded, and intersectional nature of exclusion in the Global South. This study details the development and rigorous psychometric validation of the Perceived Marginalization Scale (PMS), a novel 16-item instrument designed to assess the subjective experience of marginalization within the socio-cultural and political fabric of India. Guided by a multi-phase mixed-methods approach, the study initially employed a panel of nine multidisciplinary experts to establish content validity (I-CVI ≥0.78), resulting in the refinement of items to reflect specific cultural realities such as caste-based occupational barriers and reliance on state welfare. The scale was subsequently administered to a diverse sample of 205 participants (N=205). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation revealed a robust five-factor structure accounting for 57.92% of the cumulative variance. These factors were identified as: (1) Socio-Economic & Educational Exclusion, (2) Lack of Basic Amenities, (3) Cultural Marginalization, (4) Occupational Barriers, and (5) Government Support Perception. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) demonstrated acceptable model fit (𝜒²(95) =166.23, RMSEA=0.060, SRMR=0.066), and the scale exhibited strong internal consistency (𝛼 =.78). The emergence of distinct factors for “Basic Amenities” and “Government Support” challenges existing unidimensional models, suggesting that in developing economies, the material interface between the citizen and the state is a primary locus of psychological marginalization. This research contributes a culturally valid tool for measuring social exclusion, offering empirical evidence that the lack of civic infrastructure is internalized as a psychological state of insignificance.