Anti-Bisexual Experiences Scale (ABES)

Abstract

The Anti-Bisexual Experiences Scale (ABES) is a specialized psychological scale designed to measure the frequency and type of perceived prejudice and discrimination experienced by individuals who identify as bisexual. Developed by Brewster and Moradi, the instrument focuses specifically on experiences of biphobia, which often differ significantly from monosexist prejudice (homophobia or heterosexism). The ABES captures various forms of anti-bisexual bias, including stereotypes related to promiscuity, relationship instability, and denial of the validity of bisexuality as a stable sexual orientation. Crucially, the scale requires respondents to differentiate between experiences encountered within the heterosexual community and those encountered within the lesbian/gay community.

Keywords

ABES, Anti-Bisexual Experiences Scale, Bisexuality, Biphobia, Prejudice, Discrimination, Sexual Orientation Instability, Sexual Irresponsibility, Interpersonal Hostility, Counseling Psychology, Psychological Assessment.

Authors

Melanie E. Brewster, Bonnie Moradi

Purpose

The primary purpose of the ABES is to provide a reliable and valid measure of the unique forms of perceived anti-bisexual bias and discrimination. Prior to its development, existing measures of prejudice often conflated biphobia with general homophobia or heterosexism, failing to capture the specific invalidating and marginalizing experiences faced by bisexual individuals from both monosexual majority and minority groups.

By quantifying these experiences across multiple dimensions, the scale enables researchers and clinicians to better understand the psychological toll of anti-bisexual prejudice, facilitating more targeted interventions and contributing to a more nuanced understanding of minority stress theory as it applies to the bisexual population.

Construct

The ABES measures Perceived Anti-Bisexual Prejudice Experiences. This higher-order construct is empirically supported by three distinct but correlated subscales, reflecting the primary ways anti-bisexual bias manifests:

• Sexual Orientation Instability: Measures experiences where the individual’s bisexuality is dismissed as temporary, transient, a phase, or a state of confusion regarding their true sexual orientation (i.e., they are “really gay” or “really straight”).
• Sexual Irresponsibility: Measures experiences related to negative stereotypes concerning sexual behavior, such as assumptions of promiscuity, inability to maintain loyalty, hypersexuality, or elevated risk for STDs/HIV.
• Interpersonal Hostility: Measures experiences of direct social rejection, alienation, exclusion, or general negative treatment stemming specifically from the individual’s bisexual identity.

Validity

The validity of the ABES was established through rigorous psychometric development, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The scale demonstrated strong construct validity, confirming that the 23 items reliably load onto the three predicted factors (Sexual Orientation Instability, Sexual Irresponsibility, and Interpersonal Hostility). Content validity was ensured by deriving the initial item pool from qualitative data and literature reflecting actual experiences of anti-bisexual prejudice.

Reliability

The ABES exhibits excellent internal consistency, as demonstrated by high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients across all subscales and the total score, regardless of the source of the perceived prejudice (heterosexual or lesbian/gay communities). The reliability statistics are consistently high, indicating that the scale components measure their intended constructs consistently:

• For Heterosexual Context:
• Sexual Orientation Instability: 0.94
• Sexual Irresponsibility: 0.90
• Interpersonal Hostility: 0.88
• Total Scale Alpha: 0.95

• For Lesbian/Gay Context:
• Sexual Orientation Instability: 0.95
• Sexual Irresponsibility: 0.91
• Interpersonal Hostility: 0.88
• Total Scale Alpha: 0.95

Factor Analysis

The development of the ABES utilized factor analytic techniques to ensure the measurement of distinct dimensions of anti-bisexual prejudice. The analyses confirmed a three-factor structure, which provides a comprehensive model for understanding biphobic experiences. This structure moves beyond a monolithic view of prejudice, allowing researchers to examine differential impacts of distinct types of bias (e.g., identity invalidation vs. sexual stereotyping).

The three resulting factors—Sexual Orientation Instability, Sexual Irresponsibility, and Interpersonal Hostility—account for the majority of the variance in anti-bisexual experiences reported by participants, confirming the theoretical distinction between these facets of biphobia.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Psychological Scale (Frequency Measure)

Format: 23 items scored on a 6-point frequency scale. Respondents must complete the scale twice, specifying the source of the experience (once for heterosexual people, once for lesbian/gay people).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Bisexual Individuals

Age Group: Adults (Typically college-aged and older)

Population Details: The scale was initially validated using samples of self-identified bisexual individuals.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate how often they have experienced each anti-bisexual behavior or belief using the following scale:

• Check 1st bubble = If this has NEVER happened to you
• Check 2nd bubble = If this has happened to you ONCE IN A WHILE (less than 10% of the time)
• Check 3rd bubble = If this has happened to you SOMETIMES (10%-25% of the time)
• Check 4th bubble = If this has happened to you A LOT (26%-49% of the time)
• Check 5th bubble = If this has happened to you MOST OF THE TIME (50%-70% of the time)
• Check 6th bubble = If this has happened to you ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME (more than 70% of the time)

Keywords

Bisexuality, Biphobia, Prejudice, Discrimination, Minority Stress, Sexual Orientation, Counseling, Psychometrics, Scale Development, ABES.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Not provided in source material)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Refer to primary publications for correspondence details)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 2008 (Dissertation), 2010 (Journal Publication)

Permissions: The scale is generally available for use in academic research, though researchers should consult the primary authors for specific usage guidelines and citation requirements.

Fee: No fee specified in source material; typically available for non-commercial academic research.

The original PDF dissertation detailing the scale development can be downloaded here: http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0022157/brewster_m.pdf

Reference’s

• Brewster, Melanie E. (2008). Perceived Anti-Bisexual Prejudice Experiences of Bisexual Individuals Scale Development and Evaluation. University of Florida. Master’s (M.S.) dissertation.
• Brewster, Melanie E., & Moradi, Bonnie. (2010). Perceived Anti-Bisexual Prejudice Experiences of Bisexual Individuals Scale Development and Evaluation. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57(4), 451-468.

Items of the Anti-Bisexual Experiences Scale (ABES)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. People have acted as if bisexuality is “just a phase” I am going through
2. People have acted as if my bisexuality means that I cannot be loyal in relationships
3. Because I am bisexual, people have treated me as a “fence sitter” or “wishy-washy”
4. People have not wanted to be my friend because I identify as bisexual
5. People have acted as if my bisexuality is only a sexual curiosity, not a stable sexual orientation
6. Others have acted uncomfortable around me because of my bisexuality
7. People have tried to discredit my bisexuality
8. People have assumed that I will cheat in a relationship because I am bisexual
9. People have not taken my sexual orientation seriously, because I am bisexual
10. I have been alienated because I am bisexual
11. People have treated me as if I am likely to have an STD/HIV because I identify as bisexual
12. People have addressed my bisexuality as if it means that I am simply confused about my sexual orientation
13. People have treated me as if I am obsessed with sex because I am bisexual
14. People have denied that I am really bisexual when I tell them about my sexual orientation
15. Others have pressured me to fit into a binary system of sexual orientation (i.e., either gay or straight)
16. People have stereotyped me as having many sexual partners without emotional commitments
17. Others have treated me negatively because I am bisexual
18. When my relationships haven’t fit people’s opinions about whether I am really heterosexual or lesbian/gay, they have discounted my relationships as “experimentation”
19. People have said that I am “over-sexed” because of my bisexual identity
20. People have said that my bisexuality is a temporary or transient sexual orientation
21. I have been excluded from social networks because I am bisexual
22. When I have disclosed my sexual orientation to others, they have continued to assume that I am really heterosexual or gay/lesbian
23. People have treated me as if I am incapable of having healthy romantic relationships because I am bisexual