Abstract

Sexual minorities (lesbian, gay, and bisexual; LGB) face decisions about when and to whom they disclose their sexual orientation. Coming out has been identified as a minority stressor, and several previous studies have developed scales to measure the extent of disclosure among sexual minorities. However, in South Korea, disclosure scales have only been directly translated from overseas studies without validation. This study aimed to adapt and validate a Korean version of the Nebraska Outness Scale (NOS), which assesses sexual minority disclosure through two subfactors: openness and concealment. In Study 1, a content analysis was conducted to examine the groups to whom Korean sexual minorities disclose their sexual orientation. The results revealed differences in disclosure targets compared with overseas sexual minorities, leading to modifications in the original scale’s group classification. In Study 2, the appropriateness of these modified classifications was evaluated by categorizing social affiliates into general social affiliates, sexual minority social affiliates, and non-sexual minority social affiliates. To examine whether outness levels significantly differed between sexual minority and non-sexual minority social affiliates, a paired-samples t-test was conducted. In Study 3, the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity of the Korean version of the NOS (K-NOS) were examined. The results indicated that both the overall K-NOS and its subfactors-openness and concealment-demonstrated acceptable levels of reliability and validity. Additionally, the study explored the utility of the subfactors and scales, and conducted a regression analysis between the openness and concealment subfactors to better understand the underlying mechanisms of outness. Through these analyses, the study aimed to deepen the understanding of key mechanisms underlying outness and provide insights for future research and practical interventions. This study holds significance in that it translated and validated the NOS for use in South Korea, establishing a culturally appropriate scale for measuring sexual minority outness and laying a foundation for future research. However, given the limitations in the internal consistency and generalizability of the K-NOS due to sample characteristics, follow-up studies are recommended to further refine the scale.