Sexually Transmitted Diseases Attitude Scale – STD Attitude Scale
Measures young adults' beliefs, feelings, and intentions to act regarding sexually transmitted diseases to differentiate between high-risk and low-risk attitudes.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Sexually Transmitted Diseases Attitude Scale – STD Attitude Scale was developed by William L. Yarber, Mohammad R. Torabi, C. Harold Veenker (1988). It is designed to measure Attitudes toward sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and young adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 27 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Belief, Feeling, Intention to Act.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Belief | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 | 9 |
| Feeling | 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 | 9 |
| Intention to Act | 19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27 | 9 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 19 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 27 to 135. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low-risk STD attitude (predisposes toward low-risk behavior): 27 – 63
- Moderate-risk STD attitude: 64 – 98
- High-risk STD attitude (predisposes toward high-risk behavior): 99 – 135
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha: Total scale = .73, Belief = .53, Feeling = .48, Intention to Act = .71.
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.