Description
This 25-item assessment of homophobia is comprised of three factors: Cognitive Negativism (5 items),
Behavior/Negative Affect (10 items), and Affect/Behavioral Aggression (10 items). Participants respond to the
items using a 5-point Likert type scale. Scores range from 0 to 100 and are calculated by summing all responses
(with appropriate items reverse scored) and subtracting 25 from this score. Higher scores indicate greater
homophobia.
Sample
In total, 321 undergraduate students from a Midwestern U.S. university (119 men, 202 women) participated in
the initial, item reduction study ( Wright et al., 1999 ). The vast majority (86.3%) was Caucasian. Study 2 consisted
of 145 students (47 men, 98 women). Of these, 87% reported their ethnicity as Caucasian, and 122 participants (38
men, 84 women) completed a follow-up session. The mean scale score during the initial session ( N5145) was
32.04 ( SD519.76). Men’s scores ( M541.38, SD519.32) were significantly higher ( p,.001) than women’s
(M527.56, SD518.44).
Reliability
Internal Consistency
Cronbach alpha coefficients of .94 ( Wright et al., 1999 ; Study 2), .82 ( Parrott, Adams, & Zeichner, 2002 ), and
from .92 to .93 ( Talley & Bettencourt, 2008 ) have been reported.
Test/C0Retest
Test/C0retest reliability across a 1-week time interval was high ( r5.96) as computed on 84% ( N5122) of the
Study 2 sample ( Wright et al., 1999 )
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
A positive correlation ( r5.66) with the Index of Homophobia (IHP; Hudson & Ricketts, 1980 ) was observed sug-
gesting that the two scales tap similar, yet distinct constructs. The HS has also been found to correlate highly
(r5.86) with attitudes towards gay men as assessed by Herek’s (1984) ATG ( Talley & Bettencourt, 2008 ).Parrot
and colleagues (2002) found men’s ( N5385) HS scores to be correlated with the Hypermasculinity Inventory
(r5.41; HI; Mosher & Sirkin, 1984 ), adversarial sexual beliefs ( r5.24; ASB; Burt, 1980 ), acceptance of interper-
sonal violence ( r5.20; AIV; Burt, 1980 ), and hostility towards women ( r5.23; HTW; Check, 1985 ).
Divergent/Discriminant
Parrott et al. (2002) found no significant correlation (all ps..05) between HS scores and depression (BDI-II;
Beck & Steer, 1984 ), alcoholism (B-MAST; Pokorny et al., 1972 ), sexual coercion ( Koss & Gidycz, 1985 ), and trait
anxiety (TAI; Spielberger et al., 1983). Correlation coefficients for these measures ranged from /C00.01 to 0.07. HS
scores also show negative correlations with education ( r5/C0.26), but not age ( Wright et al., 1999 ).Schwartz and
Lindley (2005) found HS scores to correlate negatively with relational avoidance as assessed by the Adult
Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990 ).
Construct/Factor Analytic
Evidence in support of a three-dimensional structure was provided by Wright and colleagues (1999) . Thirty-
five items were composed to reflect the hypothesized cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of homo-
phobia. A principal components analysis with oblimin rotation using a sample of 321 undergraduates (119 men,
202 women), yielded a 5-component solution. Some 25 items were loaded ( ..30) by the three components.
Wright et al. (1999) conducted a second exploratory principal components analysis, which also supported a
three-dimensional solution (components were labeled: Behavioral/Negative Affect, Affect/Behavioral
Aggression, and Cognitive Negativism, respectively).
Criterion/Predictive
In an experimental study, Talley and Bettencourt (2008) found that in their no threat, control condition, those
who scored more highly on the HS were more aggressive toward an ostensibly gay task partner than those who727 MEASURES OF ANTI-LGB BIAS
VI. SOCIOCULTURAL INTERACTION AND CONFLICT