DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL SENSE OF LGBT COMMUNITY SCALE

The focus of this study was the development and validation of a Psychological Sense of LGBT Community Scale (PSOC-LGBT), designed to assess the degree to which self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons report feelings of belonging to and being able to depend on their local LGBT community, as well as the degree to which they believe an LGBT community exists in their local area. The scale is a modification of an existing Psychological Sense of Community Scale (PSOCS) that was designed for gay and bisexual men (Proescholdbell et al., 2005). A total of 356 participants completed either an Internet-based or a paper survey. Exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency, and validity coefficients supported the use and continued development of the modified instrument. Implications for future research and application are discussed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.