Attitudes toward Transactional Sex Scale (ATTS)

Abstract

The Attitudes toward Transactional Sex Scale (ATTS; St. Lawrence et al., 2023) is a 24-item questionnaire designed to assess adolescents’ attitudes toward engaging in sexual encounters initiated by older adults who offer desirable goods such as cell phones, clothes, cash, or car rides in exchange for sex. This measure was developed to address a gap in existing tools for evaluating attitudes towards transactional sex among adolescents. The initial development involved generating a pool of 57 items based on qualitative interviews with adolescents in Botswana. Subsequently, two expert panels refined this pool, resulting in 24 items categorized into four subcategories. The ATTS was administered to two distinct samples of adolescents in Botswana. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a 4-factor structure, indicating the scale’s effectiveness in measuring Batswana adolescents’ attitudes toward transactional sex with a “sugar daddy/mommy.” The study also reported on the scale’s reliability and validity.

Keywords

Adolescent Attitudes, Adult Initiated Sexual Encounter, Family Influence, Intergenerational Transactional Sexual Encounters, Perceived Benefits, Personal Morals, Refusal Ability, Transactional Sex, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Mommy

Authors

St. Lawrence, Janet S.; Sun, Christina J.; Seloilwe, Esther S.; Magowe, Mabel K. M.; Rampa, Shathani; Dithole, Kefalotse S.

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Purpose

The primary objective of this measure is to evaluate adolescents’ attitudes concerning the acceptance of sexual initiations from adults who propose a trade of desirable goods for sexual acts.

Validity

Convergent Validity: The total ATTS score and the ATTS subscale reflecting positive attitudes toward transactional sex with a sugar mommy/daddy demonstrated a positive correlation with scores on the Condom Barriers Scale (St Lawrence et al., 1999) (r = .28, p < .001). Conversely, the total ATTS score showed negative and significant correlations with the AIDS Knowledge Test (Kelly et al., 1989) (r = -.25, p < .001), the Condom Attitudes Scale (St Lawrence et al., 1994) (r = -.32, p < .001), Self-Efficacy Beliefs (Murphy et al., 2001) (r = -.25, p < .001), and Gender Power Beliefs (r = -.27, p < .001).

Discriminant Validity: The findings indicated that adolescents holding more positive attitudes toward transactional sex were less knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS, expressed more negative attitudes toward condom use, perceived more barriers to using condoms, and reported lower self-efficacy and gender power equity beliefs compared to youths who expressed more negative attitudes towards engaging in transactional sex with a sugar mommy/daddy.

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The alpha coefficient, a measure of internal consistency, was .91 for the first sample and .83 for the second sample, indicating high internal consistency.

Test-Retest Reliability: The test-retest reliability, assessed over a period ranging from 3 weeks to 9 months, was .71 (p < .001), suggesting a reasonable level of stability for the instrument over time.

Factor Analysis

Exploratory Factor Analysis: The criteria for retaining an item were that it loaded more than .40 onto a factor and its deletion did not decrease the reliability of the total scale score. All 24 items in the ATTS met these criteria and were retained for the final version. This analysis identified four distinct factors, which collectively accounted for 66.6% of the total variance.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis: This analysis further supported the four-factor structure, with all four factors meeting the predefined criteria.

Instrument: Attitudes toward Transactional Sex Scale (ATTS)

Test Type: Original

Format: The ATTS is a 24-item measure where items are rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” The scoring is as follows: 0 = Strongly agree; 1 = Agree; 2 = Neither agree nor disagree; 3 = Disagree; 4 = Strongly disagree.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Adolescence (13-17 yrs); Adulthood (18 yrs & older); Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs)

Population Details:

• Location: Botswana

• Respondents: Batswana Adolescents

Test Methodology: The methodology employed in the development and validation of the ATTS included Test Validity, Convergent Validity, Discriminant Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Test-Retest Reliability, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Exploratory Factor Analysis.

Keywords

Adolescent Attitudes, Adult Initiated Sexual Encounter, Family Influence, Intergenerational Transactional Sexual Encounters, Perceived Benefits, Personal Morals, Refusal Ability, Transactional Sex, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Mommy

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Authors

St. Lawrence, Janet S.

• Affiliation: Portland State University

Sun, Christina J.

• Author ORCID Identifier: 0000-0001-5656-7055

• Affiliation: University of Colorado

• Email Address: [email protected]

• Correspondence Address: University of Colorado, College of Nursing, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13120 East 19th Ave., Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045, [email protected]

Seloilwe, Esther S.

• Affiliation: University of Botswana

Magowe, Mabel K. M.

• Affiliation: University of Botswana

Rampa, Shathani

• Affiliation: Queens College

Dithole, Kefalotse S.

• Affiliation: University of Botswana

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: May be used for Research/Teaching purposes.
Fee: No
Test Year: 2023

References

St. Lawrence, J. S., Sun, C. J., Seloilwe, E. S., Magowe, M. K. M., Rampa, S., & Dithole, K. S. (2023). Batswana adolescents’ attitudes toward sex with older adults: Psychometric properties of the Attitudes Toward Transactional Sex Scale. Assessment, 30(8), 2364–2372. doi.org/10.1177/10731911221146518

Items of the Attitudes toward Transactional Sex Scale (ATTS)

Response Options:

• 0 = Strongly Agree

• 1 = Agree

• 2 = Neither Agree nor Disagree

• 3 = Disagree

• 4 = Strongly Disagree

Scale Items:

1. The only way I can get a cell phone is to have sex with a sugar daddy or sugar mum. (R)

2. If I agree to have sex with a sugar daddy or sugar mum, I can get extra money. (R)

3. If I agree to have sex with a sugar daddy or sugar mum, I can get fashionable clothing. (R)

4. I am willing to trade sex for drugs. (R)

5. If I want to drink alcohol, I am willing to have sex with someone who buys me drinks. (R)

6. I can refuse to have sex even if someone offers me money to go with them.

7. I can refuse to have sex even if someone promises me a cell phone.

8. I can refuse to have sex with someone who promises to buy me smart clothing.

9. I can refuse to have sex even if someone promises me a laptop.

10. I would have sex with a teacher to get high marks. (R)

11. I have sex with my boyfriend/girlfriend so that he or she does not leave me for someone else. (R)

12. I would trade sex for a free ride in a combi. (R)

13. I would have sex to get money to help my family. (R)

14. I will never engage in sex to get money or commodities.

15. It is okay to have sex to get extra money. (R)

16. I think it is okay to have sex with a sugar daddy or sugar mum to get fashionable clothes. (R)

17. It is all right for someone to have sex to get a cell phone. (R)

18. My friends would envy me if I have a sugar daddy/sugar mommy who buys me expensive clothes. (