Abstract Book of the 6th International Conference on Gender Studies and Sexuality
Year: 2025
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A Development of Attitudes scale towards LGBT people: A study based on Japanese university students
Dr. Zihan Zhang, Chieko Kato
ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this study is to develop a scale of Japanese university students’ attitudes toward LGBT people and to explore opportunities to reduce LGBTphobia among university students by deepening our understanding of LGBT people. Two hundred-one students from a Japanese university were recruited to answer a questionnaire about attitudes toward LGBT people (men: 148, women:49, Mean age=20.3 y/o, SD=1.467). A new measurement with 24 items under four factors, explaining 50.874% of the variance, was developed and validated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The results of rotation showed that loads of factors ranged between .433 and .819. The factors were named “Social acceptance,” “Psychological distance,” “Emotion,” and “Prejudice.” In addition, all these four factors were shown to have positive correlations with each other factor correlation. The inclusion of LGBT-based content in higher education may be considered in terms of social acceptance, psychological distance, emotion, and prejudice. The results would help to eliminate or mitigate LGBTphobia among university students, thus enhancing society’s openness and inclusiveness to diversity.
Keywords: gender equality, quality education, LGBT, Japanese, university students, attitudes