Authors: Bassett, Rodney L.; Kirnan, Ryan; Hill, Matthew; Schultz, Alice

Journal of Psychology & Christianity, Vol. 24 (2), Sum 2005, pp. 165-175

Abstract:

Previous efforts to assess atitudes toward guy and lesbian persons have often confused the evaluation of homosexual persons and the evaluation of homosexual behavior. The Sexual Orientation and Practices (SOAP) scale is a questionnaire designed to differentiate between attitudes toward homosexual persons and homosexual behavior. To further validate the SOAP, a two-phase study was conducted. In the first phase, students at a Christian liberal arts college responded to questionnaire containing several measures in addition to the SOAP. In the second phase, using scores on the SOAP scale, students were divided into three groups (universally rejecting of homosexual persons and behavior, selectively accepting of homosexual persons but not behavior, and universally accepting of homosexual persons and behavior). Students from these three groups were then invited to participate in a decision-making task where they were given money and required to give at least some of it away (to the research project, to a local church that selectively accepted homosexual persons but not homosexual behavior, and/or to a local church that universally accepted homosexual persons and behavior). Results from both phases of the study supported the construct validity of the SOAP scale.