Scales

QUACS: Quinn Active Concealment Scale

From: Quinn, Weisz, & Lawner, 2017. CSI = Concealable stigmatized identity. “CSI” is used as a placeholder for the purposes of this table—participants responded to these items with the specific stigmatized identity that they possessed. If participants indicated that they possessed more than one identity, they responded to these items with the identity they indicated was most important to them.

Participants rate each item on a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater active concealment. 

Response options: 1 (Never), 2, 3, 4, 5 (Always)

  1.  When I do go to social events, I am careful not to let my guard down so I don’t give away the fact that I have my [CSI ].
  2. To keep my [CSI ] hidden, I use vague language when talking about my personal life.
  3. ​I lie about how I spend my free time so that nobody suspects that I have my [CSI ].
  4. I avoid becoming too close to people so that they don’t ask personal questions that may give away the fact that I have my [CSI ].
  5. In order to hide my [CSI ], I just try to blend in with other people.
  6. I avoid social activities so that people don’t find out about my [CSI ].
  7. I don’t do anything special to hide my [CSI ] because if someone asked me about it, I would just tell them the truth. Reversed
  8. If I am going to an appointment, meeting, or get-together related to my [CSI ], I make up some other reason for my whereabouts so that people don’t know where I’m going.
  9. If I think the topic of [CSI ] is going to come up in conversation, I try to steer the conversation in a different direction.
  10. If the topic of conversation is about people with my [CSI ], I find something else to do so that I don’t have to be part of the conversation.
  11. I try to act just the opposite of the way people with my [CSI ] are “supposed” to act.
  12. If the topic of conversation is about people with my [CSI ], I join in and pretend I don’t have a [CSI ].
  13. If the topic of conversation is about people with my [CSI ], I just keep quiet and say nothing.
  14. I try not to behave in ways that are typical of people with my [CSI ].
  15. To keep my [CSI ] hidden, I avoid becoming Facebook friends (or other social media) with certain people.

Anticipated Stigma Scale for Concealable Stigmatized Identities

From: Quinn & Chaudoir, 2009.  First 9 items are modified from Kessler, Mickelson, & Williams, 1999.

Participants rate each item on a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater anticipated stigma. 

Response options: 1 (Very Unlikely), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (Very Likely)

If others knew your {insert concealable identity here}, how likely do think the following would be to occur?

  1. People acting as if they think you are not as good as they are.
  2. People acting as if they think you are not smart.
  3. Treated with less respect than other people.
  4. Treated with less courtesy than other people.
  5. People acing as if they are afraid of you.
  6. Getting poorer service than others do at restaurants or stores.
  7. People acting as if they think you are not to be trusted.
  8. People calling you names or insulting you.
  9. People threatening or harassing you.
  10. Current friends stop hanging out with you.
  11. Friends avoiding you.
  12. Roommates wanting to move out of apartment or dorm room.
  13. People not wanting to get to know you better.
  14. People not wanting to date you.
  15. People not wanting to get involved in an intimate relationship with you.

Alternative items provided below were used in Quinn et al., 2014 for a community sample of adults. First 9 items are modified from Kessler, Mickelson, & Williams, 1999.

Participants rate each item on a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater anticipated stigma. 

Response options: 1 (Very Unlikely), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (Very Likely)

If others knew your {insert concealable identity here}, how likely do think the following would be to occur?

  1. People acting like they’re better than you.
  2. People acting like they are smarter than you.
  3. Treated with less respect than other people.
  4. Treated with less kindness than other people.
  5. People acing as if they are afraid of you.
  6. Getting poorer service than others do at restaurants or stores.
  7. People acting like you can’t be trusted.
  8. People calling you names or insulting you.
  9. People threatening or harassing you.
  10. Current friends stop hanging out with you.
  11. Friends avoiding or ignoring you.
  12. Roommates wanting to move out of apartment or house.
  13. People not wanting to get to know you better.
  14. People not wanting to date you.
  15. People not wanting to get involved in a relationship with you.