Scale Overview
The Attitudes toward Deviance Scale (ATDS) was developed by Virginia L. Rothwell (2009). It is designed to measure Attitudes toward deviance. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and young adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 11 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Substance Use Attitudes, Property Deviance Attitudes, Personal/Academic Deviance Attitudes.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Substance Use Attitudes |
2,3,4,5,6 |
5 |
| Property Deviance Attitudes |
7,8,9,10 |
4 |
| Personal/Academic Deviance Attitudes |
1,11 |
2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not wrong at all, 2 = A little bit wrong, 3 = Wrong, 4 = Very wrong.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 11 to 44. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Disapproval (High Tolerance for Deviance): 11 – 22
- Moderate Disapproval: 23 – 33
- High Disapproval (Low Tolerance for Deviance): 34 – 44
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in the source text.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.