Helping Attitude Scale

Gary S. Nickell, Moorhead State University

Scoring Key:

The Helping Attitude Scale (HAS) is a Likert Scale developed to measure positive and negative attitudes toward helping others.

To score the Helping Attitude Scale (HAS) first reverse the scores for the following items: 1,5,8,11,18,19. For example, a score of “1” becomes a “5” and so forth. Next add up all twenty scores to obtain the total HAS score. This score could range from 20 to 100 with a neutral score of 60.

Normative Data:

This scale was given to 409 college students in four different studies. Their average score on the HAS was 79.560 with a Standard Deviation of 8.726. Scores ranged from 32-97. In one study of 58 students, test-retest reliability (one month later) for the HAS was r = .847.

A significant sex difference was also found, t(407) = 6.546, p < .001. Women (M = 81.455) had a more positive attitude toward helping than men (M = 75.172).