Attitude Toward Delinquency – Pittsburgh Youth Study (ATD-PYS)
Measures general attitudes and level of acceptance about engaging in delinquent behaviors.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Attitude Toward Delinquency – Pittsburgh Youth Study (ATD-PYS) was developed by Loeber, R., Farrington, D.P., Stouthamer-Loeber, M., & Van Kammen, W.B. (1998). It is designed to measure Attitude toward delinquency. The scale is intended for use with Youth and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 11 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not wrong at all, 1 = Wrong, 2 = A little wrong, 3 = Very wrong.
The scale includes 11 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 33. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low acceptance of delinquency: 0 – 11
- Moderate acceptance of delinquency: 12 – 22
- High acceptance of delinquency: 23 – 33
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.