Constructs, full items & short form

The complete measured item bank, the recommended module to field in future waves, and a plain-language construct dictionary

Why this page exists

The policy report has no room to print the instrument itself. Yet the single most useful thing a survey or media authority can take from this work is the exact wording of what to ask. This page therefore documents the DisInforMeter in full: the construct architecture, every item with complete English wording and the wave(s) in which it was fielded, the recommended short module to field in upcoming data-collection waves, and a plain-language dictionary of every construct.

ImportantScoring direction (applies to everything below)

DisInforMeter domain items are scored so that higher = more receptivity-relevant endorsement. The FIMI items are scored so that higher = better detection of foreign manipulation (1 = certainly not manipulated → 7 = certainly manipulated). The two sides run in opposite directions and must not be averaged together.

Construct architecture

The instrument separates five receptivity-relevant domains from the FIMI detection criterion. Each higher-order domain aggregates narrower first-order belief blocks; the criterion is kept analytically separate so that detection and receptivity can be related rather than confounded (Akkerman et al., 2014; OECD, 2017; Stephan et al., 2009).

Figure 1: Five-domain DisInforMeter architecture: higher-order affective composites and the first-order belief blocks they aggregate, with the FIMI detection criterion kept separate.
Table 1: Policy-facing interpretation of the five DisInforMeter domains.
Domain What it captures Policy use
Threat Perceived threat to national identity, security, culture, sovereignty, or social order. Identifies where FIMI may resonate through danger, loss, or value-erosion frames.
Betrayal / Abandonment Perceived failure of domestic institutions, allies, or mainstream information institutions to protect citizens. Connects FIMI receptivity to institutional-trust, grievance, and civic-efficacy evidence.
Fear / Pragmatism Anxiety-driven openness to accommodation with hostile or rival powers as a route to safety. Separates fear-based accommodation narratives from admiration-based ones.
Foreign-Power Admiration Positive affect toward Russia, China, or alternative geopolitical models. Flags affinity-based receptivity, especially where source identity matters.
General Anchor Cross-cutting affective stance toward protection, external threats, and rival powers. Provides a broad monitoring signal while preserving domain-level interpretation.

The instrument was not written as a single questionnaire exercise. It was built through a staged evidence pipeline — conceptual work, item generation and harmonisation, empirical refinement, cross-national comparability checks, and external validation — summarised in the construction funnel below (Boateng et al., 2018; Clark & Watson, 1995; DeVellis, 2017).

Figure 2: Construction funnel: from conceptual sources and an initial item pool through empirical refinement, cross-country comparability, and external validation.

The full measured item bank

The tables below list every item carried in the DisInforMeter programme with its complete English wording, grouped by construct. Each per-wave column gives the canonical variable name used in the wrangled item-level exports (data/wrangled_data/study{1..5}_items.parquet), so an entry is directly addressable in the data; a dash (—) marks an item not administered that wave. The machine-readable master map is downloadable below.

Items were harmonised across waves. S3 substitutes “Germany” / “our country” for “Lithuania” in three immigration / ethnocentrism items; S5 returns to the Lithuanian wording. S4 deliberately fields a compressed affective predictor set for the cross-national experiment (see the short module below), which is why many first-order blocks show a dash in the S4 column.

First-order belief blocks

Table 2: First-order belief items across studies, with full English wording. Cell entries are the canonical per-wave variable names.
Item (full English wording) S1 S2 S3 S4 S5
Exploitation
We are unable to use our nation’s greatest potential because foreign countries are exploiting us. poi3 exp1 exp1 — exp1
Foreign countries are exploiting our nation’s resources. exp2 exp2 exp2 — exp2
Western civilization is characterized by materialism and exploitation of others. exp3 exp3 exp3 — exp3
Globalization poses a big threat to our statehood and national identity. exp4 exp4 exp4 — exp4
Over the past decades, moral values have declined due to Western influence. dec1 exp5 exp5 — exp5
We have become puppets of Brussels. exp1 — — — —
LGBT+ Opposition
We should protect and enforce traditional gender roles. lgbt1 lgb1 lgb1 — lgb1
The LGBT+ movement is a threat to our values. lgbt2 lgb2 lgb2 — lgb2
LGBT+ rights promotion is a disguised form of colonization. lgbt3 lgb3 lgb3 — lgb3
We should ban LGBT+ propaganda like countries as Russia or Belorussia did. lgbt4 lgb4 lgb4 — lgb4
We should immediately stop promoting leftist, woke gender ideology. — lgb5 lgb5 — lgb5
We should acknowledge biological reality that only two genders exist – male and female. — lgb6 lgb6 — lgb6
Immigration
The EU is unable to handle immigration. unp3 mi1 mi1 — mi1
Immigrants are changing Europe for the worse. unp4 mi2 mi2 — mi2
We should adopt a much harder line against immigration. — mi3 mi3 — mi3
Immigrants take advantage of our country. — mi4 mi4 — mi4
We should deport all immigrants to where they came from. — mi5 mi5 — mi5
Immigrants are responsible for many of my country's biggest problems. — mi6 mi6 — mi6
Foreigners do not belong in Lithuania. — mi7 mi7 — mi7
Unprotected by international allies
EU is weak and has no power. unp1 unp1 unp1 — unp1
NATO will not be brave enough to defend our nation in case of military conflict. unp5 unp2 unp2 — unp2
NATO will betray us like Ukraine has been betrayed. unp6 unp3 unp3 — unp3
NATO has expanded too much and will be torn apart by internal conflicts. unp8 unp4 unp4 — unp4
The influence of the USA in the world is getting weaker and weaker. unp2 — — — —
We should quit NATO as NATO membership poses a great threat to our nation. unp7 — — — —
Abandoned by own state
My state has abandoned its citizens. aban1 aban1 aban1 — aban1
My state is exploiting its citizens. aban2 aban2 aban2 — aban2
My state is a failed state. aban3 aban3 aban3 — aban3
I don't feel that my state takes good care of me. aban4 aban4 aban4 — aban4
My state is not able to ensure jobs and fair income for everyone. aban5 aban5 aban5 — aban5
I feel anger towards specific politicians who made our daily lives worse. aban6 — — — —
I feel outraged with specific politicians who have failed us. aban7 — — — —
I possess information on how specific politicians worked against our statehood. aban8 — — — —
Abandoned by media (censorship)
My state is censoring access to truthful information. — cen1 cen1 — cen1
My state is supporting media you cannot trust. — cen2 cen2 — cen2
My state actively restricts my freedom of opinion. — cen3 cen3 — cen3
All mainstream media are lying to us. cens1 cen4 cen4 — cen4
Mainstream media are trying to brainwash citizens of my country. — cen5 cen5 — cen5
Mainstream media are useless in providing truthful and accurate information. — cen6 cen6 — cen6
Pragmatism — Russia
It is a mistake that we are not allowed to collaborate with such states as Russia. prag_ru1 pru1 pru1 — pru1
Countries like Ukraine should finally start building good relations with Russia. prag_ru2 pru2 pru2 — pru2
We should not become enemies with countries like Russia. prag_ru3 pru3 pru3 — pru3
The West should not behave aggressively towards countries like Russia. prag_ru4 pru4 pru4 — pru4
Countries like Russia never attack without being provoked. prag_ru5 pru5 pru5 — pru5
Russia is like a sleeping bear that we should not wake up. prag_ru6 pru6 pru6 — pru6
Pragmatism — China
It is a mistake that we are not allowed to collaborate with states such as China. prag_kin1 pch1 pch1 — pkin1
Taiwan should finally stop provoking China. prag_kin2 pch2 pch2 — pkin2
We should not become enemies with countries like China. prag_kin3 pch3 pch3 — pkin3
The West should not behave aggressively towards countries like China. prag_kin4 pch4 pch4 — pkin4
Countries like China never attack without being provoked. prag_kin5 pch5 pch5 — pkin5
China is like a sleeping dragon that we should not wake up. prag_kin6 pch6 pch6 — pkin6
Superiority — Russia (beliefs)
Russia has an important historic mission. sup_ru1 sru1 sru1 — sru1
Russia will reemerge as the most powerful nation in the world. sup_ru2 sru2 sru2 — sru2
Russia is technologically advanced. sup_ru3 sru3 sru3 — sru3
Russia has innovative military technologies. sup_ru4 sru4 sru4 — sru4
Russia represents a unique Slavic civilization. sup_ru6 sru5 sru5 — sru5
Russian culture is a superior culture. sup_ru7 sru6 sru6 — sru6
Russia is the last bastion of anti-systemic and anti-global forces in Europe. sup_ru8 sru7 sru7 — sru7
Russia is able to defend its core values. sup_ru9 sru8 sru8 — sru8
Russia is able to take good care of its citizens. sup_ru10 sru9 sru9 — sru9
Russia has a unique spiritual potential. sup_ru11 sru10 sru10 — sru10
Russia draws its strength from its places of spiritual importance. sup_ru13 sru11 sru11 — sru11
Russia will protect us if needed. — sru12 sru12 — sru12
Russian hackers are able to hack any institution in the world. sup_ru5 — — — —
Siberian cedar is a tree of exceptional spiritual importance. sup_ru12 — — — —
Putin's strong and masculine personality resonates well with me. sup_ru14 — — — —
Putin is a strong leader standing up against the West. sup_ru15 — — — —
Superiority — China (beliefs)
China has an important historic mission. sup_kin1 ski1 ski1 — ski1
China will reemerge as the most powerful nation in the world. sup_kin2 ski2 ski2 — ski2
China will soon have full control over the world economy. sup_kin3 ski3 ski3 — ski3
China is technologically advanced. sup_kin4 ski4 ski4 — ski4
China has innovative military technologies. sup_kin5 ski5 ski5 — ski5
China represents a unique civilization. sup_kin7 ski6 ski6 — ski6
Chinese culture is a superior culture. sup_kin8 ski7 ski7 — ski7
China is successfully reshaping the global system for its own purposes. sup_kin9 ski8 ski8 — ski8
China is able to defend its core values. sup_kin10 ski9 ski9 — ski9
China is able to take good care of its citizens.. sup_kin11 ski10 ski10 — ski10
China will protect us if needed. — ski11 ski11 — ski11
Chinese agents are able to infiltrate into any institution in the world. sup_kin6 — — — —
Poisonous ethnocentrism
Our national interests are more important than other countries' interests. — cet1 cet1 — cet1
We should protect our nation's interests by any means necessary. — cet2 cet2 — cet2
Preserving our culture, language, and identity as the predominant one in our country is of utmost importance for us. — cet3 cet3 — cet3
Everything that is non-Lithuanian may threaten the survival of our nation-state. — cet4 cet4 — cet4
Our enemies are constantly threatening our national interests. — cet5 cet5 — cet5
We should protect our culture, language and identity from foreign influences. — cet6 cet6 — cet6
By joining unions like the EU or NATO, we are losing our independence. poi6 cet7 cet7 — cet7
We have sold our national identity to unions like the EU or NATO. poi7 cet8 cet8 — cet8
We should not easily adopt values and lifestyles that are imposed on us from outside poi1 — — — —
Outsiders from abroad are constantly threatening our national identity. poi2 — — — —
We should keep the land where our ancestors lived for ourselves. poi4 — — — —
We should protect our traditions from outsiders. poi5 — — — —

Higher-order affective composites

Table 3: Higher-order affective composite items (introduced from Study 2 onward), with full English wording.
Item (full English wording) S1 S2 S3 S4 S5
Threat (affective)
I’m worried that our ways of life are sought to be destroyed. — th1 th1 th1 th1
I am sad because our culture, language, and identity are disappearing. — th2 th2 — th2
I feel a threat to the survival of our nation-state. — th3 th3 — th3
I hate Western liberalism. — th4 th4 — th4
I’m worried that my country is being exploited by foreign countries. — th5 th5 th5 th5
I am angry when I think about how my country is being used by foreign countries. — th6 th6 th6 th6
I am angry because immigration is changing our way of life for the worse. — th7 th7 th7 th7
I feel worried because of uncontrolled immigration. — th8 th8 th8 th8
I am worried about the spread of LGBT+ propaganda. — th9 th9 th9 th9
I’m outraged when thinking about the promotion LGBT+ ideas. — th10 th10 th10 th10
I’m disgusted by the LGBT+ propaganda. — th11 th11 — th11
I feel nostalgic for the days when moral values truly mattered to us. — th12 th12 — th12
Distrust / betrayal / abandonment
In general, I distrust our international allies. — ab1 ab1 ab1 ab1
I feel disappointed by the actions of the international allies in protecting my country. — ab2 ab2 ab2 ab2
I feel frustrated by how my state addresses citizens' needs. — ab3 ab3 ab3 ab3
I’m angry at my state for failing to protect the interests of its citizens. — ab4 ab4 ab4 ab4
I feel sad when I think about how my country takes care of its citizens. — ab5 ab5 — ab5
I hate my state because it fails to take care of its citizens. — ab6 ab6 — ab6
I feel angry because the knowledge I want to access is being censored in my state. cens4 ab7 ab7 ab7 ab7
I'm frustrated because my state bans the media I want to access. — ab8 ab8 ab8 ab8
Fear / pragmatic-accommodation affect
I feel tense when thinking about potential conflicts with countries like Russia or China. — pa1 pa1 pa1 pa1
I would feel safer if peace with countries like Russia is struck at any cost. — pa2 pa2 — pa2
I would feel safer if peace with countries like China is struck at any cost. — pa3 pa3 — pa3
I’m anxious about the consequences of a conflict with countries like Russia. — pa4 pa4 — pa4
I’m anxious about the consequences of a conflict with countries like China. — pa5 pa5 — pa5
I am angry that we are risking the safety of its citizens by getting involved in a reckless conflict with other countries. — pa6 pa6 — pa6
I would feel safer if peace with countries like Russia or China is struck at any cost — — — pa2 —
I’m anxious about the consequences of a conflict with countries like Russia or China — — — pa4 —
Superiority (affective admiration)
To a certain extent, I admire China. — fch1 fch1 fch1 sup5
Sometimes, I feel inspired by the actions of China. — fch2 fch2 fch2 sup6
China gives me hope. — fch3 fch3 fch3 sup7
I respect China. — fch4 fch4 — sup8
To a certain extent, I admire Russia. — fru1 fru1 fru1 sup1
Sometimes, I feel inspired by the actions of Russia. — fru2 fru2 fru2 sup2
Russia gives me hope. — fru3 fru3 fru3 sup3
I respect Russia. — fru4 fru4 — sup4
General / global DisInformeter items
I have a very negative feeling about how my state handles external threats. — gen1 gen1 gen1 gen1
I dislike the actions of our international allies in ensuring the safety of my state. — gen2 gen2 gen2 gen2
I fear the consequences of provoking countries like Russia. — gen3 gen3 — gen3
I fear the consequences of provoking countries like China. — gen4 gen4 — gen4
I like Russia. — gen5 gen5 gen5 gen5
I trust Russia. — gen6 gen6 — gen6
I like China. — gen7 gen7 gen7 gen7
I trust China. — gen8 gen8 — gen8
I fear the consequences of provoking countries like Russia or China — — — gen3 —

FIMI detection criterion (news headlines)

All eight S4 FIMI items are confirmed foreign-manipulation cases. Respondents rate whether each headline is manipulated by a foreign actor (1 = certainly not → 7 = certainly manipulated), so higher = better detection. The source-balanced 4-item Short FIMI is news2, news5, news7, news8.

Table 4: FIMI news-headline criterion items, with full English wording. S5 omits the FIMI battery by design.
Item (full English wording) S1 S2 S3 S4 S5
FIMI news items
Zelensky bought a British mansion from King Charles for 20 million pounds news3 news1 news1 news1 —
France asked Russia not to touch the French military in Ukraine news4 news2 news2 news2 —
The 2026 Milan–Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics and Paralympics will be openly LGBT++ news7 news3 news3 news3 —
Ukrainian army is looking for a mentor on tolerance working for front lines news8 news4 news4 news4 —
Gays and transvestites in Kiev are invited to join LGBT brigades news9 news5 news5 news5 —
Li-Meng Yan, a Chinese virologist who alleges that the COVID-19 virus originated from a Chinese government laboratory is a complete rumor maker news12 news6 news6 news6 —
CGTN: Closer People-to-People Bonds foster China-Vietnam Friendship news14 news7 news7 news7 —
The plague-like rule of extreme right-wing religious leader Li Hongzhi who is banned in China news15 news8 news8 news8 —
Russian hackers hacked the website of the Finnish Parliament – the website is not accessible to users right now news1 — — — —
Ukraine and Poland join forces: joint production of war drones news2 — — — —
Global Times | US the exploiter news5 — — — —
No Lenin – no electrification. Its logical that “we have moved to the dark side” – Kiev news6 — — — —
Russian hackers from KillNet registered NATO employees on gay dating site in Kiev and Moldova news10 — — — —
In Bremerhaven, Germany, a young boy is forcefully removed from his family by child protection services and police because his family taught that homosexuality and transgenderism were not acceptable because of his family’s Islamic background news11 — — — —
USA is conducting human experiments on Thai-Myanmar border news13 — — — —
FIMI item origin and Short-FIMI membership. Russian-origin = news1–news5; Chinese-origin = news6–news8.
Item Origin Short FIMI Short label
news1 Russian-origin — Zelensky / King Charles mansion
news2 Russian-origin ✓ France / Russia in Ukraine
news3 Russian-origin — Milan-Cortina ‘openly LGBT’ Olympics
news4 Russian-origin — Ukrainian army tolerance mentor
news5 Russian-origin ✓ Kyiv LGBT brigades
news6 Chinese-origin — Li-Meng Yan COVID rumour
news7 Chinese-origin ✓ CGTN: China-Vietnam friendship
news8 Chinese-origin ✓ Banned-leader Li Hongzhi ‘plague-rule’

Downloads: the harmonised cross-wave item map is exported by the academic site to outputs/item_mapping_overview.csv and outputs/item_mapping_master_long.csv (also as .xlsx). The authoritative cross-wave map including S4/S5 is outputs/item_mapping.csv.

Construct reference card (Annex A)

A plain-language dictionary of every construct measured anywhere in the programme — higher-order composites, first-order belief blocks, the FIMI outcome, the S4 descriptive panel, and the S5 validation scales — with what each captures, sample items, the studies in which it was fielded, its theoretical heritage, and the observed reliability range.

Table 7
Annex A — Construct reference card
One row per DisInforMeter construct: plain-language label, what it captures, 1–2 sample items, studies in which it was fielded, and the observed reliability range (ω / α across studies). Higher-order composites are listed first, then first-order belief blocks, the FIMI outcome, the S4 descriptive panel, and the S5 validation scales.
Construct Plain-language label What it captures Sample items Studies Reliability (ω range)
Distrust / betrayal / abandonment affective composite Sense of being abandoned by the people who should protect us Anger, disappointment, and frustration aimed at one's own state, allies, and mainstream media for failing to protect citizens' interests. In general, I distrust our international allies.; I feel disappointed by the actions of the international allies in protecting my country. S2, S3, S4, S5 0.76 – 0.87 (median 0.81)
Abandonment composite (S4 long form) Sense of being abandoned — long form S4 long-form ABAND block (eight indicators): same construct as ABAND, extended for invariance estimation. In general, I distrust our international allies.; I feel disappointed by the actions of the international allies in protecting my country. S4 0.87 – 0.87 (median 0.87)
Fear / pragmatic-accommodation affective composite Anxiety-driven openness to making peace at any cost Tension and anxiety about conflict with Russia / China that translates into willingness to accommodate those powers rather than confront them. I feel tense when thinking about potential conflicts with countries like Russia or China.; I would feel safer if peace with countries like Russia is struck at any cost. S1, S5 0.79 – 0.84 (median 0.81)
General DisInformeter anchor Overall affective stance toward national protection and rival powers Cross-cutting affective items used as the global DisInformeter anchor in S4 / S5; primarily a trust / sympathy index toward Russia / China and one's own state's external protection. I have a very negative feeling about how my state handles external threats.; I dislike the actions of our international allies in ensuring the safety of my state. S4, S5 0.57 – 0.66 (median 0.64)
Pragmatic accommodation toward foreign powers (S2/S3/S4) Conflict-avoidance accommodation toward Russia or China Composite of cognitive pragmatism toward Russia and China — the cross-wave umbrella label used for FEAR before the S5 affective separation. I feel tense when thinking about potential conflicts with countries like Russia or China.; I would feel safer if peace with countries like Russia or China is struck at any cost S2, S3, S4 0.75 – 0.84 (median 0.79)
Pragmatic accommodation (S4 long form) Conflict-avoidance accommodation — long form S4 long-form PRAG block: cross-wave PRAG construct in the eight-indicator parameterisation for invariance estimation. I feel tense when thinking about potential conflicts with countries like Russia or China.; I would feel safer if peace with countries like Russia or China is struck at any cost S4 0.71 – 0.76 (median 0.74)
Foreign-power admiration, Russia (affective) Admiration of Russia Affective respect, hope, and inspiration directed at Russia as an alternative civilisational model (S2 / S3 fru* items). To a certain extent, I admire Russia.; Sometimes, I feel inspired by the actions of Russia. S2, S3 0.88 – 0.94 (median 0.92)
Foreign-power admiration (general, S5) Admiration of foreign powers — pooled S5 pooled affective-admiration block combining the Russia and China items into one composite. To a certain extent, I admire China.; Sometimes, I feel inspired by the actions of China. S5 0.92 – 0.93 (median 0.93)
Ideological-threat affective composite Felt threat to our way of life Anger, worry, sadness, and disgust at perceived demographic, cultural, and value-erosion menace to the in-group. I’m worried that our ways of life are sought to be destroyed.; I am sad because our culture, language, and identity are disappearing. S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 0.53 – 0.85 (median 0.76)
Ideological threat (foreign exploitation facet, S5) Threat felt about foreign-power exploitation S5 facet of affective threat focused on perceived foreign-power encroachment / exploitation. I’m worried that my country is being exploited by foreign countries.; I am angry when I think about how my country is being used by foreign countries. S5 0.71 – 0.75 (median 0.73)
Ideological threat (LGBT+ facet, S5) Threat felt about LGBT+ visibility S5 facet of affective threat focused on perceived LGBT+ rights / visibility menace. I am worried about the spread of LGBT+ propaganda.; I’m outraged when thinking about the promotion LGBT+ ideas. S5 0.97 – 0.97 (median 0.97)
Ideological-threat affective composite (S4 long form) Felt threat to our way of life — long form S4 long-form THREAT block (eight indicators): same construct as THREAT, extended to support metric-invariance estimation. I’m worried that our ways of life are sought to be destroyed.; I’m worried that my country is being exploited by foreign countries. S4 0.86 – 0.86 (median 0.86)
Ideological threat (immigration facet, S5) Threat felt about immigration S5 facet of affective threat focused on immigration-driven cultural change. I am angry because immigration is changing our way of life for the worse.; I feel worried because of uncontrolled immigration. S5 0.90 – 0.90 (median 0.90)
Unprotected by international allies Distrust of NATO / EU / international allies Belief that the EU, NATO, or other international allies will not defend the nation or are weak / unreliable. EU is weak and has no power.; NATO will not be brave enough to defend our nation in case of military conflict. S2, S3 0.87 – 0.91 (median 0.91)
Abandoned by own state Sense that the state has abandoned its citizens Belief that the home state has failed in its protective and provisioning duties. My state has abandoned its citizens.; My state is exploiting its citizens. S2, S3 0.92 – 0.94 (median 0.93)
Abandoned by media (state censorship) Belief that mainstream media censor truth Belief that domestic state or mainstream media restrict access to truthful information / propagate lies. My state is censoring access to truthful information.; My state is supporting media you cannot trust. S2, S3 0.94 – 0.96 (median 0.95)
Abandoned by own state (S5 legacy label) Sense that the state has abandoned us — S5 wording S5 precursor of ABANH; retired in the canonical SEM catalogue. My state has abandoned its citizens.; My state is exploiting its citizens. S5 0.92 – 0.92 (median 0.92)
Pragmatism China (S1 legacy label) Anxiety / pragmatism toward China — S1 wording S1 precursor of PRAGCH; retired in the canonical SEM catalogue. It is a mistake that we are not allowed to collaborate with states such as China.; Taiwan should finally stop provoking China. S1 0.92 – 0.92 (median 0.92)
Pragmatism Russia (S1 legacy label) Anxiety / pragmatism toward Russia — S1 wording S1 precursor of PRAGR; retired in the canonical SEM catalogue. It is a mistake that we are not allowed to collaborate with such states as Russia.; Countries like Ukraine should finally start building good relations with Russia. S1 0.92 – 0.93 (median 0.92)
Abandoned by media (S5 label) Belief that mainstream media censor truth — S5 wording S5 precursor of ABANM; retired in the canonical SEM catalogue. My state is censoring access to truthful information.; My state is supporting media you cannot trust. S5 0.94 – 0.94 (median 0.94)
Poisonous ethnocentrism Aggressive nation-first ethnocentrism Belief that the in-group's interests should override outsiders' by any means, often paired with anti-EU / anti-NATO suspicion. Our national interests are more important than other countries' interests.; We should protect our nation's interests by any means necessary. S5 0.74 – 0.92 (median 0.79)
Exploitation by foreign powers Belief that foreign powers exploit our nation Conviction that foreign countries or Western institutions extract value, resources, or sovereignty from the in-group. We are unable to use our nation’s greatest potential because foreign countries are exploiting us.; Foreign countries are exploiting our nation’s resources. S2, S3, S5 0.78 – 0.94 (median 0.90)
LGBT+ opposition Opposition to LGBT+ rights Belief that the LGBT+ movement is a threat to traditional values and that LGBT+ rights advocacy is a foreign imposition. We should protect and enforce traditional gender roles.; The LGBT+ movement is a threat to our values. S1, S2, S3, S5 0.90 – 0.96 (median 0.93)
Abandoned (S1 legacy label) Sense of being left behind — S1 wording S1 precursor mapped to ABAND in the canonical higher-order vocabulary. My state has abandoned its citizens.; My state is exploiting its citizens. S1 0.79 – 0.80 (median 0.80)
Abandoned by own state (S1 legacy label) Sense that the state has abandoned us — S1 wording S1 precursor of ABANH; retired in the canonical SEM catalogue. My state has abandoned its citizens.; My state is exploiting its citizens. S1 0.92 – 0.92 (median 0.92)
Immigration / xenophobia Hostility to immigration Belief that immigration harms the nation and that stricter anti-immigration policy is needed. The EU is unable to handle immigration.; Immigrants are changing Europe for the worse. S1, S2, S3, S5 0.82 – 0.95 (median 0.90)
Pragmatism China (cognitive) Cognitive case for accommodating China Belief-level rationale for cooperating with / not provoking China. It is a mistake that we are not allowed to collaborate with states such as China.; Taiwan should finally stop provoking China. S5 0.87 – 0.94 (median 0.90)
Pragmatism Russia (cognitive) Cognitive case for accommodating Russia Belief-level rationale for cooperating with / not provoking Russia. It is a mistake that we are not allowed to collaborate with such states as Russia.; Countries like Ukraine should finally start building good relations with Russia. S2, S3, S5 0.86 – 0.94 (median 0.91)
Foreign-rule acceptance composite (S1 only) Acceptance of foreign-power rule — S1 only S1 hybrid block combining Russia and China rule-acceptance items; not carried forward into the canonical SEM catalogue. Russia will reemerge as the most powerful nation in the world. S1 0.78 – 0.78 (median 0.78)
Unprotected by allies (S1 legacy label) Distrust of international allies — S1 wording S1 precursor of ABANF; retired in the canonical SEM catalogue. EU is weak and has no power.; NATO will not be brave enough to defend our nation in case of military conflict. S1 0.83 – 0.83 (median 0.83)
Superiority of China (beliefs) Belief that China is a superior civilisation Belief-level endorsement of China as technologically, militarily, or culturally superior / a model worth admiring. China has an important historic mission.; China will reemerge as the most powerful nation in the world. S4, S5 0.91 – 0.95 (median 0.93)
Superiority of China (S1 legacy label) Belief that China is superior — S1 wording S1 precursor of SUPCH; retired in the canonical SEM catalogue. China has an important historic mission.; China will reemerge as the most powerful nation in the world. S1 0.95 – 0.95 (median 0.95)
Superiority of Russia (beliefs) Belief that Russia is a superior civilisation Belief-level endorsement of Russia as technologically, militarily, or culturally superior / a model worth admiring. Russia has an important historic mission.; Russia will reemerge as the most powerful nation in the world. S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 0.92 – 0.97 (median 0.95)
Unprotected by allies (S5 legacy label) Distrust of international allies — S5 wording S5 precursor of ABANF; retired in the canonical SEM catalogue. EU is weak and has no power.; NATO will not be brave enough to defend our nation in case of military conflict. S5 0.87 – 0.87 (median 0.87)
Exploitation by foreign powers (S1 legacy label) Belief that foreign powers exploit us — S1 wording S1 precursor of EXPL; same construct under the legacy USE label, retired in the canonical SEM catalogue. We are unable to use our nation’s greatest potential because foreign countries are exploiting us.; Foreign countries are exploiting our nation’s resources. S1 0.92 – 0.92 (median 0.92)
Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference FIMI headline criterion battery Eight-item FIMI headline battery. In S1, respondents rated sharing intent, so higher = higher sharing/receptivity. From S2 onward, respondents rated whether the headline is manipulated by a foreign actor, so higher = better detection. Zelensky bought a British mansion from King Charles for 20 million pounds; France asked Russia not to touch the French military in Ukraine S1, S2, S3, S4 0.55 – 0.93 (median 0.74)
FIMI (4-item Short DisInformeter criterion) Short-form FIMI headline criterion Four-item source-balanced subset (news2, news5, news7, news8). Direction follows the study-specific FIMI criterion: S1 sharing intent; S2 onward detection of foreign manipulation. France asked Russia not to touch the French military in Ukraine; Gays and transvestites in Kiev are invited to join LGBT brigades S1, S2, S3, S4 0.40 – 0.82 (median 0.61)
Click reasons (S4) Why people engage with online content Self-report motivators for engaging with news / political content. q11_1; q11_2 S4 0.86 – 0.86 (median 0.86)
Importance of democracy (S4) How important democracy is personally Self-rated importance of democratic governance for the respondent's life. q30 S4 NA
EU support (S4) Support for EU membership and project Diffuse and specific support for the European Union. q28 S4 NA
Institutional trust battery (S4) Trust in domestic and international institutions Trust ratings across courts, police, parliament, EU, UN, etc. q23_1; q23_2 S4 0.90 – 0.90 (median 0.90)
Life satisfaction (S4) Subjective life satisfaction Single- or short-form well-being / life-satisfaction item. q27 S4 NA
Left-right self-placement (S4) Where respondents place themselves on the left-right axis Single-item left-right self-placement (0–10). q26 S4 NA
Media consumption frequency (S4) How often people consult different news sources Frequency block covering platform / channel use; descriptive only, not a reflective construct. q3_1; q3_2 S4 0.61 – 0.62 (median 0.61)
Anti-misinformation actions (S4) What people do when they encounter misinformation Reported behavioural response when respondent encounters suspected false content (ignore, fact-check, share, report). q12_1; q12_2 S4 NA
Confidence detecting misinformation (S4) Self-rated ability to spot fake news Self-efficacy in identifying false content; used as a calibration check. q4_1 S4 NA
Foreign misinformation salience (S4) Whether foreign actors are seen as drivers Perceived role of foreign powers in producing or amplifying domestic misinformation. q6_1; q6_2 S4 0.89 – 0.89 (median 0.89)
Free-speech / misinformation trade-off (S4) Tension between speech freedom and harm reduction Attitudes about whether anti-misinformation policy infringes free expression. q4_4 S4 NA
Perceived misinformation impact (S4) How harmful misinformation feels in everyday life Self-reported personal / societal impact of misinformation exposure. q14_1; q14_2 S4 0.90 – 0.90 (median 0.90)
Political salience of misinformation (S4) How politically important misinformation is Perceived political stakes / agenda priority of misinformation issues. q4_3 S4 NA
Misinformation regulation attitudes (S4) Support for regulating online misinformation Self-report attitudes toward platform / government regulation of false content. q4_2; q4_5 S4 0.65 – 0.65 (median 0.65)
Misinformation responsibility (S4) Who should fix the misinformation problem Attributed responsibility for solving misinformation (platforms vs. government vs. individuals). q15_1; q15_2 S4 0.94 – 0.94 (median 0.94)
Perceived misinformation sources (S4) Which actors people blame for misinformation Attributed responsibility for misinformation production / spread (state actors, platforms, individuals). q5_1; q5_2 S4 0.89 – 0.89 (median 0.89)
External political efficacy (S4) Belief that institutions are responsive Self-rated belief that political institutions respond to citizens' input. q21 S4 NA
Internal political efficacy (S4) Belief that one can engage politics competently Self-rated competence to participate effectively in political processes. q22 S4 NA
Political interest (S4) How much people follow politics Self-rated interest in political affairs. q20 S4 NA
Political participation (S4) Recent political-engagement behaviours Self-report recent voting / petition / protest / online-political-engagement behaviours. q25_1; q25_2 S4 NA
Religiosity (S4) Self-rated religious importance / practice Short religiosity / religious-importance battery. q32 S4 NA
Social trust (S4) Generalised trust in other people Two/three-item generalised-trust battery; descriptive only. q17; q18 S4 0.80 – 0.81 (median 0.81)
Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire (5-item) General disposition to see hidden plots Bruder et al. five-item conspiracy-mentality scale; used as a nomological anchor in S5. cmq1; cmq2 S5 0.84 – 0.84 (median 0.84)
Feeling thermometer — China Warmth toward China (0–100) Standard feeling-thermometer item: warmth toward China. feel_ch S5 NA
Feeling thermometer — EU Warmth toward the EU (0–100) Standard feeling-thermometer item: warmth toward the EU. feel_eu S5 NA
Feeling thermometer — NATO Warmth toward NATO (0–100) Standard feeling-thermometer item: warmth toward NATO. feel_nato S5 NA
Feeling thermometer — Russia Warmth toward Russia (0–100) Standard feeling-thermometer item: warmth toward Russia. feel_ru S5 NA
Intergroup-threat scale — immigrants Felt threat from immigrants Stephan-style intergroup-threat scale targeted at immigrants. itt_imi_sym1; itt_imi_sym2 S5 0.94 – 0.94 (median 0.94)
ITT — immigrants, realistic facet Material / economic threat from immigrants Realistic / material facet of the immigrants ITT scale. itt_imi_real1; itt_imi_real2 S5 0.93 – 0.93 (median 0.93)
ITT — immigrants, symbolic facet Cultural-value threat from immigrants Symbolic / value-based facet of the immigrants ITT scale. itt_imi_sym1; itt_imi_sym2 S5 0.96 – 0.97 (median 0.97)
Intergroup-threat scale — LGBT+ Felt threat from LGBT+ rights Stephan-style intergroup-threat scale targeted at LGBT+ communities. itt_lgbt_sym1; itt_lgbt_sym2 S5 0.93 – 0.93 (median 0.93)
ITT — LGBT+, realistic facet Material / institutional threat from LGBT+ rights Realistic / material facet of the LGBT+ ITT scale. itt_lgbt_real1; itt_lgbt_real2 S5 0.82 – 0.84 (median 0.83)
ITT — LGBT+, symbolic facet Cultural-value threat from LGBT+ rights Symbolic / value-based facet of the LGBT+ ITT scale. itt_lgbt_sym1; itt_lgbt_sym2 S5 0.94 – 0.95 (median 0.95)
I-PANAS-SF — negative affect Recent negative-affect feelings Trait negative-affect subscale of the short-form international PANAS. panas6; panas7 S5 0.81 – 0.82 (median 0.81)
I-PANAS-SF — positive affect Recent positive-affect feelings Trait positive-affect subscale of the short-form international PANAS. panas1; panas2 S5 0.73 – 0.74 (median 0.74)
Populist attitudes (Silva 2017) Populist worldview composite Pooled populist-attitudes scale (people-centrism, anti-elitism, manichaean outlook). pop1; pop2_r S5 0.40 – 0.46 (median 0.43)
Populism — anti-elitism facet Hostility to political elites Subscale of POP focused on anti-elitism. pop4; pop6_r S5 0.27 – 0.48 (median 0.38)
Populism — Manichaean outlook facet Good-vs-evil view of politics Subscale of POP focused on the Manichaean / good-vs-evil framing. pop8; pop9_r S5 0.18 – 0.45 (median 0.31)
Populism — people-centrism facet Trust in 'ordinary people' over elites Subscale of POP focused on people-centrism. pop1; pop2_r S5 0.36 – 0.49 (median 0.43)
Right-Wing Authoritarianism (short scale) Authoritarian-deference disposition Short-form right-wing-authoritarianism scale used as nomological-network anchor. rwa1_r; rwa2 S5 0.56 – 0.63 (median 0.60)
Institutional trust — EU (ESS) Trust in the European Union ESS institutional-trust item for the EU. ptrust6 S5 NA
Institutional trust — local authorities (ESS) Trust in domestic authorities ESS institutional-trust item for local / national authorities. ptrust1; ptrust2 S5 0.86 – 0.86 (median 0.86)
Institutional trust — UN (ESS) Trust in the United Nations ESS institutional-trust item for the UN. ptrust7 S5 NA
Source: outputs/policy_report/tables/construct_reference_card.csv (assembled from data/wrangled_data/construct_taxonomy.rds + outputs/tables/scale_diagnostics_s1_s5.csv). Reproduction code: scripts/policy_report/A-01_construct_reference_card.R.
Code
scripts/policy_report/A-01_construct_reference_card.R (renders the card from the assembled CSV)
#!/usr/bin/env Rscript
#' A1 — Construct reference card (Annex A).
#'
#' Spec (02_figures-and-tables-spec.md §A1, line 254):
#'   1-row-per-construct table with: construct, plain-language label, what
#'   it captures, 1–2 sample items, studies fielded in, reliability range.
#'
#' Source CSV (already produced upstream by R/policy_report/):
#'   outputs/policy_report/tables/construct_reference_card.csv
#'
#' Output:
#'   outputs/policy_report/tables/rendered/A-01_construct_reference_card.{html,tex}

suppressPackageStartupMessages({
  library(dplyr); library(readr); library(gt); library(here)
})

source(here::here("scripts", "policy_report", "_theme.R"))
source(here::here("scripts", "policy_report", "_helpers_tables.R"))

SCRIPT_ID  <- "A-01_construct_reference_card"
SOURCE_CSV <- here::here("outputs", "policy_report", "tables",
                          "construct_reference_card.csv")
OUT_BASE   <- file.path(POLICY_REPORT_TABLES_RENDERED_DIR, SCRIPT_ID)

dat <- readr::read_csv(SOURCE_CSV, show_col_types = FALSE)
policy_report_check_input(dat, SOURCE_CSV)

df <- dat %>%
  dplyr::transmute(
    construct        = display_label,
    plain_language   = plain_language_label,
    what_it_captures = what_it_captures,
    sample_items     = ifelse(
      is.na(sample_item_2) | !nzchar(sample_item_2),
      sample_item_1,
      sprintf("%s; %s", sample_item_1, sample_item_2)
    ),
    studies_fielded  = studies_fielded,
    reliability      = ifelse(
      is.na(reliability_min) | is.na(reliability_max),
      NA_character_,
      sprintf("%.2f – %.2f (median %.2f)",
              reliability_min, reliability_max, reliability_median)
    )
  )

source_note <- policy_report_table_source(
  source_label = "outputs/policy_report/tables/construct_reference_card.csv (assembled from data/wrangled_data/construct_taxonomy.rds + outputs/tables/scale_diagnostics_s1_s5.csv)",
  script       = paste0(SCRIPT_ID, ".R")
)

gt_obj <- policy_report_gt(
  df,
  title    = "Annex A — Construct reference card",
  subtitle = "One row per DisInforMeter construct: plain-language label, what it captures, 1–2 sample items, studies in which it was fielded, and the observed reliability range (ω / α across studies). Higher-order composites are listed first, then first-order belief blocks, the FIMI outcome, the S4 descriptive panel, and the S5 validation scales."
) |>
  gt::cols_label(
    construct        = "Construct",
    plain_language   = "Plain-language label",
    what_it_captures = "What it captures",
    sample_items     = "Sample items",
    studies_fielded  = "Studies",
    reliability      = "Reliability (ω range)"
  ) |>
  gt::tab_source_note(source_note = gt::md(source_note))

paths <- policy_report_save_table(gt_obj, OUT_BASE)

policy_report_log_table_outputs(
  SCRIPT_ID, paths, input_rows = nrow(df),
  extra = c(sprintf("Constructs documented: %d", nrow(df)),
            sprintf("Drafted upstream cells with [DRAFT]: %d",
                    sum(grepl("\\[DRAFT\\]", as.matrix(df))))))

The card’s descriptors and reliability triplets are assembled upstream in R/policy_report/07_construct_reference_card.R, which also resolves each construct’s theoretical-heritage anchor.

Language matrix (Annex B)

The recurring module was fielded in Study 4 across many languages. The matrix below is the English-authoritative record of the 27-item module. Per-language translator-confirmed wording is staged separately from this repository.

Warning

The non-English columns are empty here: the English wording is authoritative, and the verified translations will be available with D5.2 the DisInforMeter demonstrator. The primary deployment languages (S4 n ≥ 50) are BG, DE, EN, ET, FR, HU, IT, LT, LV, NL, PL, RU, SR, TR.

Table 8
Annex B — Short DisInforMeter items: wording and language coverage
Each row is one item from the Short DisInforMeter (the 27-item version fielded in S4). The English column carries the authoritative wording; coloured ticks below mark the 14 S4 languages in which each item was deployed.
Item Construct FIMI origin English (authoritative) BG DE EN ET FR HU IT LT LV NL PL RU SR TR
gen1 GEN NA I have a very negative feeling about how my state handles external threats. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
gen2 GEN NA I dislike the actions of our international allies in ensuring the safety of my state. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
gen3 GEN NA I fear the consequences of provoking countries like Russia or China — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
gen5 GEN NA I like Russia. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
gen7 GEN NA I like China. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
th6 THREAT NA I am angry when I think about how my country is being used by foreign countries. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
th9 THREAT NA I am worried about the spread of LGBT+ propaganda. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
ab2 ABAND NA I feel disappointed by the actions of the international allies in protecting my country. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
ab4 ABAND NA I’m angry at my state for failing to protect the interests of its citizens. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
ab7 ABAND NA I feel angry because the knowledge I want to access is being censored in my state. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
pa1 FEAR NA I feel tense when thinking about potential conflicts with countries like Russia or China. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
pa2 FEAR NA I would feel safer if peace with countries like Russia or China is struck at any cost — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
pa4 FEAR NA I’m anxious about the consequences of a conflict with countries like Russia or China — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
fru1 SUPF NA To a certain extent, I admire Russia. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
fru2 SUPF NA Sometimes, I feel inspired by the actions of Russia. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
fru3 SUPF NA Russia gives me hope. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
fch1 SUPFCH NA To a certain extent, I admire China. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
fch2 SUPFCH NA Sometimes, I feel inspired by the actions of China. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
fch3 SUPFCH NA China gives me hope. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
news1 FIMI Russian-origin Zelensky bought a British mansion from King Charles for 20 million pounds — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
news2 FIMI Russian-origin France asked Russia not to touch the French military in Ukraine — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
news3 FIMI Russian-origin The 2026 Milan–Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics and Paralympics will be openly LGBT++ — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
news4 FIMI Russian-origin Ukrainian army is looking for a mentor on tolerance working for front lines — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
news5 FIMI Russian-origin Gays and transvestites in Kiev are invited to join LGBT brigades — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
news6 FIMI Chinese-origin Li-Meng Yan, a Chinese virologist who alleges that the COVID-19 virus originated from a Chinese government laboratory is a complete rumor maker — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
news7 FIMI Chinese-origin CGTN: Closer People-to-People Bonds foster China-Vietnam Friendship — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
news8 FIMI Chinese-origin The plague-like rule of extreme right-wing religious leader Li Hongzhi who is banned in China — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Translator-pending. The English column is the authoritative wording. The remaining language columns indicate whether the item was fielded in that language during S4 (✓) but not the verbatim translated string. Item-by-item translations will be added once each language has been confirmed against the deployed Qualtrics block.
Source: outputs/policy_report/tables/short_disinformeter_languages.csv (stub; English authoritative, other-language wordings pending translator verification against the original Qualtrics localisations used in S4 Dec 2025). Reproduction code: scripts/policy_report/A-02_short_disinformeter_languages.R.

References

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Boateng, G. O., Neilands, T. B., Frongillo, E. A., Melgar-Quinonez, H. R., & Young, S. L. (2018). Best practices for developing and validating scales for health, social, and behavioral research: A primer. Frontiers in Public Health, 6, 149. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00149
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