| Autor: |
Cramer RJ; School of Community and Environmental Health, Old Dominion University, 1014 W. 46th St., Norfolk, VA, 23509, USA. rcramer@odu.edu.; Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Norfolk, VA, USA. rcramer@odu.edu., Golom FD; Department of Psychology, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA., Gemberling TM; Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA., Trost K; School of Community and Environmental Health, Old Dominion University, 1014 W. 46th St., Norfolk, VA, 23509, USA., Lewis R; Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.; Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Norfolk, VA, USA., Wright S; National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, Baltimore, MD, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
The present study contributes to a growing body of literature developing psychometrically and theoretically grounded measures of sexual orientation minority identity. We tested psychometric properties and construct validity of a 27-item measure, the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS). The sample consisted of 475 adult (178 male, 237 female, 16 male-to-female, 14 female-to-male, and 30 gender queer persons) members of a special interest group, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. Participants completed a health needs questionnaire. Prominent findings included (1) confirmatory factor-analytic, internal consistency, and inter-correlation patterns support two LGBIS factor structures; (2) men, compared primarily to women, reported elevated scores on Acceptance Concerns, Concealment Motivation, Difficulty Process, and Negative Identity; (3) queer-identifying persons tended to report low Concealment Motivation, and high Identity Affirmation and Identity Centrality scores; (4) experimenting/fluid-identifying individuals tended toward higher Identity Uncertainty and Negative Identity, and lower Identity Centrality scores; (5) LGB community involvement was negatively associated with Concealment Motivation, Identity Uncertainty, and Negative Identity, and positively associated with Identity Superiority, Identity Affirmation, and Identity Centrality scores; and (6) Acceptance Concerns, Identity Uncertainty, and Internalized Homonegativity displayed significant positive associations with such mental health symptoms as general anxiety and posttraumatic stress. The LGBIS represents a useful approach to evaluating sexual orientation minority identity. Implications for identity theory, research, and practice are provided. |
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