Scale Overview
The Beliefs About Psychological Services – BAPS was developed by StefanĂa ÆgisdĂłttir & Lawrence H. Gerstein (2009). It is designed to measure Beliefs about psychological services. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Intent, Stigma Tolerance, Expertness.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Intent |
1,2,3,4,6,12 |
6 |
| Stigma Tolerance |
5,8,10,11,13,15,17,18 |
8 |
| Expertness |
7,9,14,16 |
4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Slightly Disagree, 4 = Slightly Agree, 5 = Agree, 6 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 7 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 18 to 108. Interpretation guidelines:
- Negative beliefs / Low tolerance towards psychological services: 18 – 47
- Neutral beliefs / Moderate tolerance towards psychological services: 48 – 77
- Positive beliefs / High tolerance towards psychological services: 78 – 108
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.