Herpes Attitude Scale – HAS
Measures beliefs, feelings, and attitudes about genital herpes and coping with the condition.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Herpes Attitude Scale – HAS was developed by Katherine Bruce, Judith McLaughlin (1986). It is designed to measure Attitudes toward genital herpes. The scale is intended for use with College students and adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 40 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 20 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Negative Attitude: 0 – 50
- Positive Attitude: 51 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha = 0.91.
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.