Scale Overview
The Hendrick Sexual Attitudes Scale – HSAS was developed by Clyde Hendrick, Susan S. Hendrick (1987). It is designed to measure Sexual Attitudes. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 43 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Permissiveness, Sexual practices, Communion, Instrumentality.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Permissiveness |
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 |
21 |
| Sexual practices |
22,23,24,25,26,27,28 |
7 |
| Communion |
29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37 |
9 |
| Instrumentality |
38,39,40,41,42,43 |
6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Moderately disagree, 3 = Neutral – neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Moderately agree, 5 = Strongly agree.
The scale includes 3 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 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low endorsement of the attitude dimension: 1 – 2
- Moderate endorsement of the attitude dimension: 3 – 3
- High endorsement of the attitude dimension: 4 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Permissiveness alpha = 0.94, Sexual practices alpha = 0.71, Communion alpha = 0.80, Instrumentality alpha = 0.80.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.