Development and Standardization of Homophobia Scale for Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to develop a test to assess homophobia among adolescents. Homophobia is a multifaceted construct that encompasses negative attitudes, fear, prejudice, and discrimination toward individuals perceived as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+). It operates at individual, societal, and institutional levels, influencing personal beliefs, interpersonal interactions, and public policy. The study and measurement of homophobia have gained importance in psychology, education, health, and human rights disciplines. The present scale assesses various dimensions of homophobia. For this purpose, 75 items were generated; after item analysis, 60 items were retained and administered to a random sample of 272 adolescents in Bangalore city. After relevant statistical analysis, all 60 items were finalized. The test was found to be reliable, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.96 and split-half reliability of 0.80. Content and concurrent validity of the test was also established at the 0.05 level.