The Hazing Program Assessment (HPA): validation of a brief measure of hazing knowledge, confidence, and beliefs.

Objective: To develop and validate the Hazing Program Assessment (HPA), a brief instrument designed to assess hazing knowledge, confidence, and beliefs among college students participating in hazing prevention programs. Participants: Participants included 1,697 college students across two pilot studies at six institutions representing fraternity and sorority organizations, club sports, leadership programs, and other hazing prevention contexts. Methods: Instrument development occurred through two phases of testing involving expert review, pilot testing, and iterative refinement. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analyses were conducted to examine factor structure and internal consistency. Results: Findings supported a three-factor structure representing hazing confidence, hazing knowledge, and hazing beliefs. The final solution explained 83% of variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from .906 to .952 across factors. Conclusions: The HPA demonstrated evidence of validity and reliability as a brief assessment of learning outcomes associated with hazing prevention programs and may support program evaluation across varied higher education settings.