Outness Inventory – OI
Measures the degree of openness about sexual orientation across different social domains.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Outness Inventory – OI was developed by Jonathan J. Mohr & Ruth E. Fassinger (2000). It is designed to measure Outness (disclosure of sexual orientation). The scale is intended for use with Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 11 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Out to Family, Out to World, Out to Religion.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Out to Family | 1,2,3,4 | 4 |
| Out to World | 5,6,7,10,11 | 5 |
| Out to Religion | 8,9 | 2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = person definitely does NOT know about your sexual orientation status, 2 = person might know about your sexual orientation status, but it is NEVER talked about, 3 = person probably knows about your sexual orientation status, but it is NEVER talked about, 4 = person probably knows about your sexual orientation status, but it is RARELY talked about, 5 = person definitely knows about your sexual orientation status, but it is RARELY talked about, 6 = person definitely knows about your sexual orientation status, and it is SOMETIMES talked about, 7 = person definitely knows about your sexual orientation status, and it is OPENLY talked about, N/A = not applicable to your situation; there is no such person or group of people in your life.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 7. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Outness (orientation is generally secret or not discussed): 1 – 3
- Moderate Outness (orientation is known but rarely discussed): 4 – 5
- High Outness (orientation is known and openly discussed): 6 – 7
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .74 to .97 across subscales.
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.