Scale Overview
The Attitude Function Inventory – AFI was developed by Gregory M. Herek (1984). It is designed to measure Attitude functions regarding sexual orientation. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Experiential-schematic, Social-expressive, Defensive, Value-expressive.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Experiential-schematic |
1,2,3,4 |
4 |
| Social-expressive |
5,6 |
2 |
| Defensive |
7,8 |
2 |
| Value-expressive |
9,10 |
2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Very True of Me, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = 7, 8 = 8, 9 = Not at all True of Me.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 9. Interpretation guidelines:
- Subscale scores are typically calculated as the mean of the items within each subscale, where lower scores indicate stronger endorsement of that attitude function.: 1 – 9
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Experiential-schematic alpha: 0.67-0.82; Social-expressive alpha: 0.41-0.62; Defensive alpha: 0.72-0.82; Value-expressive alpha: 0.53-0.61.
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.