Acceptance and Rejection Measure

Abstract

The Acceptance and Rejection Measure (ARM), developed by Pollitt, Fish, and Watson in 2023, is an 8-item psychological scale designed specifically to quantify the family acceptance and rejection experiences unique to Sexual and Gender Minority Youth (SGMY). The scale content was adapted and modified from items utilized by the established Family Acceptance Project.

The measure was rigorously evaluated using a large, national online sample of SGMY, including youth who had both disclosed and not disclosed their sexual and/or gender identities to their parents. Subsequent Factor Analysis supported a robust two-factor model, distinguishing between acceptance and rejection constructs. While initial reliability results demonstrated strong internal consistency, the authors noted a limitation concerning the inability to assess the measure’s predictive validity during the initial development phase.

Keywords

Family Acceptance, Family Rejection, Sexual and Gender Minority Youth, Adolescent Development, Developmental Measures, Family Relations, Social Acceptance, Family and Parenting Measures, Sexual Minority Groups, Measurement Equivalence.

Authors

Pollitt, Amanda M., Fish, Jessica N., Watson, Ryan J.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Acceptance and Rejection Measure is to significantly contribute to research focusing on the family environments of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth (SGMY). This instrument is critical for researchers seeking to analyze the impact of parental behaviors, specifically by considering the distinct roles of both supportive (accepting) and undermining (rejecting) actions.

By providing a clear, psychometrically validated tool tailored to SGMY experiences, the measure allows for more nuanced investigations into how familial support or lack thereof relates to the developmental outcomes and well-being of Adolescence navigating identity formation.

Construct

The Acceptance and Rejection Measure operationalizes two distinct, negatively correlated latent factors: Family Acceptance and Family Rejection. These constructs are defined by specific parental and caregiver behaviors directed toward the youth’s sexual or gender minority identity.

Family Acceptance is measured by behaviors that affirm the youth’s identity, such as expressing pride or liking the youth “as they are.” Conversely, Family Rejection captures overtly negative and harmful behaviors, including taunting, mocking, or making the youth feel “bad” specifically because of their LGBTQ identity. The instrument is unique in that it assesses the equivalence of these constructs across youth who have and have not disclosed their identities.

Validity

At the time of the scale’s publication (2023), the original research article reported that no data was available regarding the measure’s predictive validity. Future research is required to assess its capacity to predict relevant outcomes, such as mental health indicators or risk behaviors among SGMY populations.

Reliability

The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency across both subscales, indicating that the items within each factor measure their respective constructs reliably.

• Internal Consistency (Rejecting Items): Calculated reliability was high, with 4 items yielding a Cronbach’s alpha (Internal Consistency) of α = 0.88.

• Internal Consistency (Accepting Items): Calculated reliability was also strong, with 4 items yielding a Cronbach’s alpha (Internal Consistency) of α = 0.82.

Factor Analysis

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to determine the underlying structure of the 8-item measure. The analysis strongly supported a two-latent factor model, corresponding to Family Acceptance and Family Rejection.

The model fit for the two-factor structure was deemed acceptable. When compared to a simplified one-factor model, the two-factor model provided a significantly superior fit to the data (Δχ² = 6,244.34, Δdf = 1, p < .001). Furthermore, Measurement Invariance testing confirmed that the two-factor, negatively correlated model was equivalent across different groups, specifically between SGMY who had disclosed their identities and those who had not, enhancing the scale’s generalizability across disclosure statuses.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: Items are rated on a 4-point scale ranging from “never” to “often.” Participants also have the option to respond with “doesn’t apply to me,” which is coded as missing data.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Adolescence (13-17 yrs)

Population Details: Location: United States. Respondents: Sexual and Gender Minority Youth (Ages 13-17).

Test Methodology: Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Measurement Invariance.

Keywords

Adolescent Development, Developmental Measures, Family Relations, Social Acceptance, Family and Parenting Measures, Sexual Minority Groups, Family Acceptance, Family Rejection, Sexual and Gender Minority Youth, Psychometrics.

Authors

• Pollitt, Amanda M.

  Author ORCID Identifier: 0000-0001-5428-2283

  Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

  Correspondence Address: Northern Arizona University, Department of Health Sciences, Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative, 1395 S Knoles Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States, 86011.

• Fish, Jessica N.

  Affiliation: University of Maryland Department of Family Science, Prevention Research Center.

• Watson, Ryan J.

  Affiliation: University of Connecticut Department of Human Development and Family Sciences.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: May use for Research/Teaching

Fee: No

Test Year: 2023

Reference’s

Pollitt, A. M., Fish, J. N., & Watson, R. J. (2023). Measurement equivalence of family acceptance/rejection among sexual and gender minority youth by disclosure status. Journal of Family Psychology, 37(2), 195–202. doi:10.1037/fam0001056

Items of the Acceptance and Rejection Measure

Parental and Caregiver Behavior Assessment

This section assesses the frequency of specific behaviors by parents or caregivers towards an individual.

Family Rejection

How often do your parents or caregivers:

• Taunt or mock you because you are an LGBTQ person?

• Say negative comments about you being an LGBTQ person?

• Say bad things about LGBTQ people in general?

• Make you feel like you are bad because you are an LGBTQ person?

Family Acceptance

How often do your parents or caregivers:

• Say that they like you as you are in regards to being an LGBTQ person?

• Say they were proud of you for being an LGBTQ person?

• Get involved in the larger LGBTQ community?

• Tell you that you are a role model as an LGBTQ person?

Rating Scale

Items are rated on a 4-point scale ranging from “never” to “often.”