Developing and Validating the Disgust Sensitivity towards Gay Men Scale

Homonegativity remains a pervasive social problem that results in inequality, exclusion, and victimization. Understanding the psychological mechanisms that contribute to this bias is essential. The emotion of disgust has previously been observed to be associated with negative attitudes toward gay men. Yet previous research determining this relationship has been inconsistent and overlooks group-level elicitors of disgust. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to develop and validate the Disgust Sensitivity towards Gay Men (DSGM) scale. In phase one, an online qualitative assessment of gay men’s experiences with prejudice and disgust informed the initial item pool. Phase two determined the content validity and readability using a panel of experts which yielded a preliminary 59-item measure. In phase three, the DSGM was refined to a 19-item measure via statistical analyses. Further, evidence of initial construct validity and factor structure were observed. Phase four confirmed a single factor, 19-item DSGM and tests for validity and reliability supported the psychometric soundness of the scale. Lastly, the implications, future directions, and limitations of the current research are discussed.