Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Scale – NAMS
Measures negative attitudes and guilt associated with masturbation.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Scale – NAMS was developed by Donald L. Mosher & Paul R. Abramson (1975). It is designed to measure Masturbation guilt and negative attitudes toward masturbation. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all true for me, 2 = Somewhat untrue, 3 = Undecided, 4 = Somewhat true, 5 = Strongly true for me.
The scale includes 10 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 30 to 150. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low negative attitudes / Low guilt: 30 – 70
- Moderate negative attitudes / Moderate guilt: 71 – 110
- High negative attitudes / High guilt: 111 – 150
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha of .94.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 7 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.