The attitudes toward massage (ATOM) scale: reliability, validity, and associated findings

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Health Behavior

Background:

• Attitudes significantly influence behavior, yet no systematic evaluation of attitudes toward massage exists.
• Standardized assessment tools for massage-related attitudes are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Attitudes Toward Massage (ATOM) scale.
• To assess attitudes related to massage as healthful and pleasant.
• To explore demographic and psychological correlates of massage attitudes.

Main Methods:

• Development of a nine-item Attitudes Toward Massage (ATOM) scale with two subscales: Massage as Healthful and Massage as Pleasant.
• Assessment of scale reliability (Cronbach's alpha).
• Examination of correlations with personality traits, dispositional sensitivities, and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Main Results:

• The ATOM scale demonstrated good reliability (alpha > .70 for Healthful, > .80 for Pleasant).
• Attitudes toward massage correlated with major personality traits and dispositional sensitivities.
• ATOM scale scores positively correlated with broader attitudes toward CAM.
• Preliminary evidence suggests attitudes change after receiving massage.
• Supplemental items indicated a general preference for female massage therapists, stronger in men.
• Attitudes related to sexual arousal and massage were also examined.

Conclusions:

• The ATOM scale is a reliable and valid measure for assessing attitudes toward massage.
• The scale can be utilized in research and clinical practice to understand massage-related attitudes.
• Further research is needed to confirm attitude changes post-massage and explore other related factors.