TPC-Journal-V1-Issue3

208 The Professional Counselor Volume 1, Issue 3 | Pages 208-221 © 2011 NBCC, Inc. & Affiliates www.nbcc.org http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org doi:10.15241/sjj.1.3.208 The Development of a Sexual Orientation Scale for Males Sachin Jain Santiago Silva One of the major flaws in current psychological tests is the belief that a prediction/diagnosis can be made that would tell an individual whether he is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. What is needed within the profession, however, is an assessment that has the sensitivity to help clients explore their sexual orientation. A pilot 100-item Sexual Orientation Scale was developed after interviewing 30 self-identified gay men who considered themselves happy/satisfied. The items summarized the thoughts and feelings of these 30 men during the discovery process and ultimate acceptance of their sexual orientation. The scale was then completed by 208 male participants. The Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient was calculated for the initial 100-item version of the Sexual Orientation Scale along with item analysis and factor analysis. These statistical manipulations were computed to help eliminate items that did not discriminate well. The final version of the Sexual Orientation contains 43 items. Implications for the use of this scale and future directions in research are further explored. Keywords: sexual orientation, scale development, males, assessment, exploration As children grow up in our society, they are introduced to a wide range of knowledge about sexual behavior by their parents, siblings, and peers. Part of their education addresses the ideas of sexual orientation and/or preference. The inherent messages in this education are that a person is either heterosexual (sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex), homosexual (sexually attracted to members of the same sex), or bisexual (sexually attracted to members of both sexes). Historical Overview of Sexual Orientation A number of theories on the origin of homosexuality have attempted to define homosexuality. A number of these theories (c.f. Drescher, 2008; Ellis, 1936; Freud, 1922/2010; Krafft-Ebing, 1887/1965; Nuttbrock et al., 2009) place sexual orientation within the context of an individual’s overall sex role identity. These individuals link sexual attraction for men toward women with a masculine sex role orientation and sexual orientation toward men with a feminine sex role orientation (Axam & Zalesne, 1999; Mata, Ghavami & Wittig, 2010; Storms, 1980). Sexual orientation refers to a particular lifestyle (behavior) that an individual displays. Storms (1980) and Moradi, Mohr, Worthington, & Fassinger (2009) found most theories about the nature of sexual orientation emphasize either the person’s sex role orientation or erotic orientation. Although these assumptions have had a major impact on the development of theories, research, clinical practice, and even popular stereotypes, neither assumption has been adequately tested in past research. A homosexual person is one defined as having preferential erotic attraction to members of the same sex and usually (but not necessarily) engaging in overt sexual relations with them (Crooks & Baur, 2008; Marmor, 1980). Cass (1984) and Harper & Harris (2010) identified four steps in the discovery process that people experience as they begin to identify their sexual orientation: 1. Individuals come to perceive themselves as a homosexual by adopting a self-image of what it means to be homosexual. 2. Individuals take this self-image a step further and allow it, through interaction with others, to become a homosexual identity. 3. Individuals assume the necessary affective, cognitive, and behavioral strategies in order to effectively manage this identity in everyday life. 4. Individuals find a way with which to incorporate the new identity into an overall sense of self. Sachin Jain, NCC, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling, Oakland University, Rochester, MI. Santiago Silva, is a Clinical Professor & Director of the Counseling Assessment Preparation Clinic (CAP) at the University of Texas- Pan American. Correspondence can be addressed to Sachin Jain, Oakland University, Department of Counseling, 2200 N Squirrel Road, Rochester, MI, 48309, sacedu@yahoo.com .