Development, Reliability, and Validity of the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale for Heterosexuals (LGB-KASH).

Four studies on the development and validation of the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale for Heterosexuals (LGB-KASH) were conducted. Exploratory factor analysis of an initial item pool yielded 5 factors assessing internalized affirmativeness, civil rights attitudes, knowledge, religious conflict, and hate—indicating that heterosexual knowledge and attitudes regarding LGB individuals could be conceptualized as multidimensional and wide-ranging. The stability of the multidimensional factor structure of the LGB-KASH was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis. Testretest stability, internal consistency, and validity coefficients supported the use and continued development of the new instrument. Significant differences were found between heterosexual and LGB individuals on all 5 factors, especially internalized affirmativeness, knowledge, and religious conflict. Implications for theory and research on heterosexual knowledge and attitudes are discussed.