title: Attitudes towards same-sex marriage in Portugal: predictors and scale validation.
abstract: The goal of the present research was to validate a Portuguese version of Pearl and Galupo's (2007) Attitudes toward Same-Sex Marriage Scale (ATSM). Participants were 1,402 heterosexual men and women that completed an on-line questionnaire. The final 15-item scale formed a single factor showing high internal consistency (α = .95). This one factor structure was backed-up by a confirmatory factorial analysis. In a general way, the results indicate a clearly positive attitude toward same-sex marriage (overall mean was 63.79, SD = 12.66, above the scale mid-point, t(1401) = 55.55, p < .001). Furthermore, analysis of the scale's predictors demonstrates how a left-wing orientation (β = .22, p < .001) and the level of denial of deservingness for lesbian/gay discrimination (β = .30, p < .001) prove to be the best predictors of attitudes towards same-sex marriage. On the whole, these results indicate that the Portuguese ATSM version is a reliable instrument for carrying out scientific research and measuring and monitoring public opinion on this subject.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Portugal).
authors.forename: João Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Portugal).
authors.forename: Diniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Porto (Portugal).
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cameira
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Porto (Portugal).
authors.forename: Conceição
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nogueira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006716:Homosexuality; D018452:Homosexuality, Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011057:Politics; D011174:Portugal; D011639:Public Opinion; D012067:Religion; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: attitudes; predictors; same-sex marriage; scale validation