Attitudes toward Transactional Sex Scale (ATTS)
Measures adolescents' attitudes toward engaging in sexual encounters with older adults in exchange for desirable goods, money, or services.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Attitudes toward Transactional Sex Scale (ATTS) was developed by Janet S. St. Lawrence, Christina J. Sun, Esther S. Seloilwe, Mabel K. M. Magowe, Shathani Rampa, Kefalotse S. Dithole (2023). It is designed to measure Attitudes toward transactional sex. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and young adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Perceived Benefits, Refusal Ability, Personal Morals, Family Influence.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Benefits | 1,2,3,15,16,17,18 | 7 |
| Refusal Ability | 6,7,8,9 | 4 |
| Personal Morals | 4,5,10,11,12,14 | 6 |
| Family Influence | 13 | 1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Strongly Agree, 1 = Agree, 2 = Neither Agree nor Disagree, 3 = Disagree, 4 = Strongly Disagree.
The scale includes 13 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 72. Interpretation guidelines:
- High acceptance of transactional sex / Low refusal self-efficacy: 0 – 24
- Moderate acceptance of transactional sex: 25 – 48
- Low acceptance of transactional sex / High refusal self-efficacy: 49 – 72
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha of .83 – .91.
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.