Scale Overview
The Index of Homophobia – IHP was developed by Wendell A. Ricketts, Walter W. Hudson (1980). It is designed to measure Homophobia. The scale is intended for use with English-speaking populations aged 12 or older.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 25 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly agree, 2 = Agree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Disagree, 5 = Strongly disagree.
The scale includes 13 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:
- Non-homophobic orientation: 0 – 49
- Homophobic attitude: 50 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha = .90.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 6 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.