Attitudes of heterosexuals toward homosexuality: A Likert-type scale and construct validity

• Published in: The Journal of sex research Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 245 - 257
• Main Authors: Larsen, Knud S., Reed, Michael, Hoffman, Susan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Taylor & Francis Group 01.08.1980; Society for the Scientific Study of Sex
• Subjects: Attitude scales; Attitude/Attitudes/Attitudinal; Authoritarianism; Construct validity; Heterosexual/Heterosexuality; Homosexual relationships; Homosexual/Homosexuality (see also Gay); Homosexuality; Male homosexuality; Prejudices; Psychological attitudes; Religiosity; Scale/Scales (see also Test, Index, Score); Social psychology
• ISSN: 0022-4499; 1559-8519
• DOI: 10.1080/00224498009551081

This article reports on three phases of the development of a Likert-type scale measuring heterosexual attitudes toward homosexuality. Phase 1 describes the development of the scale. Item analysis yielded 20 statements with item-total correlations ranging from .57 to .74. In Phase 2 the 20-item Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Homosexuality (HATH) Scale was administered to 82 subjects. Analysis yielded a corrected split-half correlation of .92, and the scale was found to discriminate between individuals based on sex, academic major, and church attendance. In Phase 3 (a validation study) the HATH was administered with several additional attitude scales and indexes of an exploratory nature. Analysis yielded a corrected split-half correlation of .92. As in Phase 2, a significant effect of sex was found; females appear more tolerant than males. In addition, the HATH correlated significantly with peer attitudes, religiosity, and authoritarianism. The scale has satisfactory reliability and shows promising construct validity.