Homophobia Scale – HS
Assesses the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of homophobia.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Homophobia Scale – HS was developed by Lester W. Wright, Jr., Henry E. Adams, & Jeffrey Bernat (1999). It is designed to measure Homophobia. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 25 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Behavior/Negative Affect, Affect/Behavioral Aggression, Cognitive Negativism.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior/Negative Affect | 1,2,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,22 | 10 |
| Affect/Behavioral Aggression | 12,13,14,15,17,19,21,23,24,25 | 10 |
| Cognitive Negativism | 3,8,16,18,20 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 16 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low homophobia: 0 – 33
- Moderate homophobia: 34 – 66
- High homophobia: 67 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.94.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 6 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.