Unmasking the anti-gender mindset: development and validation of the Gender Ideology Belief Scale

Introduction: Opposition to gender ideology has become a socially and politically salient phenomenon, yet there is still a lack of validated instruments capable of capturing its multidimensional structure in a systematic way. The present research aimed to develop the Gender Ideology Belief Scale (GIBS), a new measure designed to assess negative attitudes toward gender ideology as a coherent ideological construct. Methods: Across two studies involving Italian participants (total N = 595), the GIBS was developed through a multi-phase process including literature review, analysis of public anti-gender discourse, item generation, expert evaluation, and psychometric testing. In Study 1 (N = 332), exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the most suitable items and examine the latent structure of the scale, whereas in Study 2 (N = 263), confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the factorial structure and assess reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity. Results: The exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor solution reflecting conspiratorial beliefs, resistance to gender-inclusive education, and adherence to traditional family values. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a second-order structure in which these three dimensions loaded onto a broader gender ideology factor, and the final 14-item version of the scale demonstrated acceptable reliability and associations with right-wing authoritarianism, sexual prejudice, and conspiracist beliefs. Discussion: The GIBS provides researchers with a new instrument for examining opposition to gender ideology as an organized belief system rather than as an isolated attitude. By offering a multidimensional measure of anti-gender beliefs, this scale may support future research on cultural backlash, ideological resistance to social change, and the psychological dynamics underlying contemporary conflicts over gender and diversity.