To assess the construct validity of the AIDS Attitude Scale (AAS) (Shr
um, Turner, & Bruce, 1989), we administered it and related attitude sc
ales to introductory psychology students (n = 279) and gay/lesbian sup
port group members (n = 38). A subset of the students (n = 105) partic
ipated in a concurrent validity study; students donating items to an A
IDS food pantry scored more tolerantly on the AAS than other students.
AAS scores also differentiated subjects expected to have more toleran
t attitudes toward people living with HIV and AIDS from other responde
nts, indicating known groups validity. As expected, AAS scores were po
sitively correlated with attitudes about homosexuals and negatively co
rrelated with authoritarian beliefs. However, AAS scores were not rela
ted to death anxiety. Attitudes about AIDS were distinguishable from r
elated constructs using factor analysis. Together, these data provide
evidence for the construct validity of the AAS. The need for valid ass
essment tools and uses of the AAS are discussed.