Asset Control and Benefits Scale

There are myriad definitions of ownership, control, benefit, and use of assets (e.g., right to access the resource, exploit for economic benefit, right to transfer, right to bequeath, etc.). A common challenge in survey implementation is the significant cost, both in terms of duration and budget, that collecting a full roster of assets and asset rights might involve. This scale aims to simplify the process by measuring with Likert-agreement items the construct of control—drawing from Lachman and Weaver (1998)—and benefits over assets. This scale measures the extent to which respondents control or benefit from the most important dimensions of asset ownership and use (Deere and Doss, 2006; Deere et al 2014; Hasanbasri, Koolwal, Kilic and Moylan, 2002). Assets included are land, livestock, phone, mode of transportation, and large household appliances.

A short-form version of this tool is currently under development.

Link to: tool content and guidelines, CTO file, and statistical annex

Duration: This tool takes on average 6.18 minutes to be implemented.

Permitted use of the tool: all users are free to use the tool with citation: “MAGNET (2023). Asset Control and Benefits Scale. https://magnet.ifpri.info/asset-control-and-benefits-scale/”

Tool sample

Assets: land, large livestock, mode of transportation (e.g., car, motorcycle, bike), phone, large household appliances (e.g., refrigerators, stoves), larger agricultural assets (e.g., plow, tractor, pumps).

1. Does any member of this household use, own, control, or get any type of benefit for any [asset]?

i. Yes (Go to scale)
ii. No (Skip to next asset)

a) I have [asset] that I can use.
b) I have [asset] that I can use whenever I want.
c) I have [asset] that I can use however I want.
d) I have [asset] that I can use to produce things for household consumption.
e) I have [asset] that I can use to produce things for sale.

Response Options
How much do you agree with the following statements? Likert scale-agreement.
1. completely disagree 2. mostly disagree 3. neither agree nor disagree 4. mostly agree 5. completely agree.

Measurement properties 

• Geographies Tested: India, Uganda
• Populations included: Female, Male
• Age range: Adults

For details on these testing metrics, visit our scoring methodology page.