Park`s Heterosexism Scale

Definition

The Heterosexism Scale (HS) is a 16-item self-report measure of heterosexism, developed by Sun-Ah Park (2001). Heterosexism is defined as “a system of attitudes, beliefs, institutional structures, and practices that privilege heterosexuality and heterosexual relationships” (Park, 2001, p. 127). The HS assesses two dimensions of heterosexism:

• Superiority of Heterosexuality subscale: This subscale measures beliefs that heterosexuality is superior to other sexual orientations.
• Tolerance/Acceptance of Non-Heterosexuality subscale: This subscale measures beliefs that non-heterosexual people should be tolerated or accepted.

Reliability

The HS has good internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from .83 to .92 (Park, 2001). The HS also has good test-retest reliability, with correlations ranging from .75 to .85 (Park, 2001).

Validity

The HS has good construct validity. It has been shown to correlate with other measures of heterosexism, such as the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale (Herek, 1988) and the Homophobia Scale (Hudson & Ricketts, 1980). The HS has also been shown to predict negative attitudes and behaviors towards lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGBT) people.

Use

The HS is a useful tool for measuring heterosexism in a variety of settings, such as research, clinical practice, and education. The HS can be used to assess heterosexism among individuals, groups, and organizations. The HS can also be used to track changes in heterosexism over time.

Limitations

The HS is a self-report measure, which means that it is subject to social desirability bias. Additionally, the HS was developed in the United States, and its use in other cultures may be limited.

Overall

The HS is a well-validated measure of heterosexism. It is a useful tool for researchers, clinicians, and educators who are interested in understanding and addressing heterosexism.