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Abstract

This study describes the development and validation of the Homophobia Scale. The scale was developed to assess the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of homophobia. The participants (n=321 for the field trials and n=122 for test–retest reliability) were college students from a large Midwestern university. Results yielded a 25-item questionnaire consisting of three factors: a factor that assesses mainly negative cognitions regarding homosexuality, a factor that assess primarily negative affect and avoidance of homosexual individuals, and a factor that assesses negative affect and aggression toward homosexual individuals. Concurrent validity was established using The Index of Homophobia (Hudson & Ricketts, 1980). The phases of scale development and implications of the results are discussed.

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Wright, L.W., Adams, H.E. & Bernat, J. Development and Validation of the Homophobia Scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment 21, 337–347 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022172816258

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022172816258

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