| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Description | The Food Attitude Scale (FAS), developed by Byrne, Golightly, and Capaldi in 1963, measures general attitudes toward food. The scale was created by initially writing 221 items, grouped into three categories: Past Attitudes and Habits, Food Preferences, and Present Attitudes and Habits. Items were presented in a booklet format titled Survey of Eating Habits. Following an internal consistency item analysis, 62 items were selected for males and 65 for females. Respondents answer true or false to statements covering past attitudes (e.g., “My father enjoyed eating”), food preferences (e.g., “I like apricots”), and present habits (e.g., “I do not care much for desserts”). The scale was validated using university students, with split-half reliability scores of .73 (males) and .74 (females), and test-retest reliability scores of .86 (males) and .82 (females) over six weeks. |
| Author | Byrne, Donn; Golightly, Carole; Capaldi, E. J. |
| Affiliation | University of Texas |
| Purpose | To measure a personality dimension involving attitudes toward food. |
| Construct | Food Attitudes |
| Instrument Type | Rating Scale |
| Format | Responses to the items are provided in a true/false format. |
| Administration Method | Paper |
| Test Items Available | No (To access the test items, contact the publisher.) |
| Number of Items | 62 items scored for males; 65 items scored for females. |
| Reliability | – Internal Consistency: Split-half reliability was .73 for males and .74 for females.- Test-Retest Reliability: Over a six-week period, reliability was .86 for males and .82 for females. |
| Validity | No validity information indicated. |
| Factor Analysis | No factor analysis indicated. |
| Test Methodology | Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Split-Half Reliability; Test-Retest Reliability |
| Age Group | Adulthood (18 yrs & older) |
| Population Group | Human; Male; Female |
| Population Details | Sample: University Students; Location: United States |
| Keywords | Test-Retest Reliability; Food Attitude Scale; Test Development; Internal Consistency |
| Index Terms | Eating Attitudes; Food; Internal Consistency; Rating Scales; Test Construction; Test Reliability; Test-Retest Reliability |
| Reference | Byrne, D., Golightly, C., & Capaldi, E. J. (1963). Construction and validation of the food attitude scale. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 27(3), 215–222. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0042348 |
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Food Attitude Scale (FAS). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/food-attitude-scale-fas/
Mohammed looti. "Food Attitude Scale (FAS)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 4 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/food-attitude-scale-fas/.
Mohammed looti. "Food Attitude Scale (FAS)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/food-attitude-scale-fas/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Food Attitude Scale (FAS)', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/food-attitude-scale-fas/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Food Attitude Scale (FAS)," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Food Attitude Scale (FAS). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.