Stereotypes About Male Sexuality Scale

Abstract

The Stereotypes About Male Sexuality Scale (SAMSS) is a 60-item, objective self-report questionnaire designed to assess deeply held stereotypic beliefs regarding male human sexuality. Developed by William E. Snell, Jr., and his colleagues, the instrument was created to address a lack of tools focused on the cognitive approaches that influence sexual feelings and behaviors.

The SAMSS is structured around 10 distinctive subscales, each representing a common stereotype about male sexuality, such as the belief that sex equals performance or that men must always be ready for sex. Responses are captured using a 5-point Likert-type Scale, and the administration typically requires 20 to 25 minutes.

Keywords

Male Sexuality, Stereotypes, Cognitive Beliefs, Gender Roles, Sexual Performance, Self-Report, Psychological Scale, Inexpressiveness, Sexual Attitudes.

Authors

William E. Snell, Jr., Sherry S. Belk, Robert C. Hawkins II.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SAMSS is to quantify and measure 10 specific, pervasive stereotypic beliefs concerning males and their sexuality. This development stemmed from the recognition that while cognitive approaches to human sexuality were gaining attention, few standardized instruments existed to assess the underlying cognitive schemas that might influence sexual behavior and emotional expression in men.

The scale allows researchers and clinicians to use the 10 subscales as individual-tendency measures, providing insight into the degree to which an individual internalizes conventional or restrictive beliefs about male sexual roles, often associated with negative psychological outcomes.

Construct

The SAMSS measures 10 distinct dimensions of stereotypic cognitive beliefs regarding male sexuality, drawing partly on early work by Zilbergeld (1978). These 10 subscales represent traditional, often restrictive, views of how men should experience and express their sexuality. The constructs measured are:

• Inexpressiveness: The belief that men should limit their emotional range and vulnerability.
• Sex Equals Performance: The focus on sex as a task or achievement rather than an intimate experience.
• Males Orchestrate Sex: The idea that men must assume the leadership or guiding role in sexual behavior.
• Always Ready for Sex: The stereotype that men are perpetually in a state of desire and readiness for sexual activity.
• Touching Leads to Sex: The belief that physical contact is primarily a prelude to, or request for, sexual intercourse.
• Sex Equals Intercourse: The narrow definition of satisfying sex solely in terms of sexual intercourse.
• Sex Requires Erection: The belief that an erection is vital and necessary for any sexual activity to be gratifying for a man.
• Sex Requires Orgasm: The belief that sexual activity must culminate in an orgasm for a man to feel satisfied.
• Spontaneous Sex: The preference for unplanned, instinctive sexual encounters, rejecting forethought or planning.
• Sexually Aware Men: The belief that most men are inherently knowledgeable, well-adjusted, and realistic about sex.

Validity

Evidence for the validity of the SAMSS was established through several investigations exploring its relationship with established gender-role measures and clinical perspectives. One key finding demonstrated a strong positive association between the restrictive emotionality component of the masculine role and adherence to stereotypic beliefs about male sexuality as measured by the SAMSS.

Furthermore, the scale showed that conventional, performance-oriented approaches to male sexuality were positively associated with other gender-role preferences and behaviors. In a separate study focusing on counseling trainees, results indicated that mentally healthy adult males were expected by counselors to reject inhibited, control-focused, and constant-readiness approaches to sex. They also expected healthy men to disagree with defining sexuality solely by intercourse or viewing males as inherently sexually knowledgeable, supporting the SAMSS’s ability to differentiate between conventional and healthier sexual beliefs.

Finally, the SAMSS demonstrated predictive validity by correlating significantly and negatively with the use of bilateral social influence strategies within intimate relationships. This suggests that men who adhere strongly to conventional sexual stereotypes (high SAMSS scores) are more likely to employ selfish influence tactics rather than mutually responsive, bilateral strategies with their partners.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the 10 subscales comprising the SAMSS was assessed using coefficient alpha values. The reliability scores were generally robust, with alpha values ranging from a low of 0.63 to a high of 0.93. The average alpha reliability across all 10 subscales was reported to be 0.80 (Snell et al., 1986), indicating acceptable to strong internal consistency for most measured constructs.

Factor Analysis

While the initial publications did not explicitly detail the factor analytic procedure, the structure of the SAMSS is based on the identification of 10 distinct factors or subscales, each comprising six items. This structure reflects the theoretical foundation laid out by Snell and colleagues to capture discrete dimensions of male sexual stereotyping.

The clear assignment of six items to each of the 10 factors—ranging from Inexpressiveness to Sexually Aware Men—demonstrates a consistent factor structure intended to isolate specific cognitive belief clusters influencing male sexual attitudes and behaviors.

Instrument

Test Type: Objective Self-Report Questionnaire

Format: 60 items, utilizing a 5-point Likert-type Scale. Responses are scored on a range from +2 (Agree) to -2 (Disagree).

Language Available: English (Original Publication)

Population Group: Individuals (typically adult males and counseling professionals involved in sexuality research).

Age Group: Adult.

Population Details: Used primarily in academic and psychological research settings to study gender roles and sexual cognition.

Test Methodology: Responses are typically recorded on a computer scan sheet, with the respondent darkening a letter (A through E) corresponding to their degree of agreement or disagreement. Completion time is approximately 20–25 minutes.

Keywords

Masculine Role, Cognitive Schema, Sexual Stereotypes, Inexpressiveness, Erection Anxiety, Performance Anxiety, Social Influence Strategies, Counseling Psychology, Psychological Measurement.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material. William E. Snell, Jr. was affiliated with Southeast Missouri State University at the time of publication.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The initial validation and publication of the SAMSS occurred in 1986 (Snell, Belk, & Hawkins, 1986). The scale was published in Social and Behavioral Sciences Documents (Ms. No. 2747), often indicating that the instrument is available for academic use, though specific commercial licensing fees or current permissions must be sought directly from the primary author, William E. Snell, Jr.

The original publication information noted in the reference section suggests the SAMSS manuscript was cataloged as: Snell, W. E., Jr., Belk, S. S., & Hawkins, R. C., II. (1986). The Stereotypes About Male Sexuality Scale (SAMSS): Components, correlates, antecedents, consequences, and counselor bias. Social and Behavioral Sciences Documents, 16, 10. (Ms. No. 2747).

Reference’s

Doyle, J. A. (1989). The male experience (2nd ed.). Dubuque, IA: Brown.

Gould, R. (1982). Sexual functioning in relation to the changing roles of men. In K. Solomon & N. Levy (Eds.), Men in transition: Theory and therapy (pp. 165–173). New York: Plenum.

Gross, A. E. (1978). The male role and heterosexual behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 34(1), 87–107.

Herek, G. M. (1987). On heterosexual masculinity: Some psychical consequences of the social construction of gender and sexuality. In M. S. Kimmel (Ed.), Changing men: New directions in research on men and masculinity (pp. 68–82). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Mosher, D. L., & Anderson, R. D. (1986). Macho personality, sexual aggression, and reactions to guided imagery of realistic rape. Journal of Research in Personality, 20, 77–94.

Mosher, D. L., & Sirkin, M. (1984). Measuring a macho personality constellation. Journal of Research in Personality, 18, 150–163.

Snell, W. E., Jr., Belk, S. S., & Hawkins, R. C., II. (1986). The Stereotypes About Male Sexuality Scale (SAMSS): Components, correlates, antecedents, consequences, and counselor bias. Social and Behavioral Sciences Documents, 16, 10. (Ms. No. 2747)

Snell, W. E., Jr., Belk, S. S., & Hawkins, R. C., II (1990). Cognitive beliefs about male sexuality: The impact of gender roles and counselor perspectives. Journal of Rational-Emotive Therapy, 8, 249–265.

Snell, W. E., Jr., Hawkins, R. C., II, & Belk, S. S. (1988). Stereotypes about male sexuality and the use of social influence strategies in intimate relationships. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 7, 42–48.

Tiefer, L. (1987). In pursuit of the perfect penis: The medicalization of male sexuality. In M. Kimmel (Ed.), Changing men: New directions in research on men and masculinity (pp. 165–184). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Zilbergeld, B. (1978). Male sexuality. Boston: Little, Brown.

Items of the Stereotypes About Male Sexuality Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. Men should not be held.

2. Most men believe that sex is a performance.

3. Men generally want to be the guiding participant in sexual behavior.

4. Most men are ready for sex at any time.

5. Most men desire physical contact only as a prelude to sex.

6. The ultimate sexual goal in men’s mind is intercourse.

7. Lack of an erection will always spoil sex for a man.

8. From a man’s perspective, good sex usually has an “earthshaking” aspect to it.

9. Men don’t really like to plan their sexual experiences.

10. Most men are sexually well-adjusted.

11. Only a narrow range of emotions should be permitted to men.

12. Men are almost always concerned with their sexual performance.

13. Most men don’t want to assume a passive role in sex.

14. Men usually want sex, regardless of where they are.

15. Among men, touching is simply the first step towards sex.

16. Men are not sexually satisfied with any behavior other than intercourse.

17. Without an erection a man is sexually lost.

18. Quiet, lazy sex is usually not all that satisfying for a man.

19. Men usually like good sex to “just happen.”

20. Most men have healthy attitudes toward sex.

21. A man who is vulnerable is a sissy.

22. In sex, it’s a man’s performance that counts.

23. Sexual activity is easier if the man assumes a leadership role.

24. Men are always ready for sex.

25. A man never really wants “only” a hug or caress.

26. Men want their sexual experiences to end with intercourse.

27. A sexual situation cannot be gratifying for a man unless he “can get it up.”

28. Sexual climax is a necessary part of men’s sexual behavior.

29. Most men yearn for spontaneous sex that requires little conscious effort.

30. In these days of increased openness about sex, most men have become free of past inhibiting ideas about their sexual behavior.

31. A man should be careful to hide his feelings.

32. Men’s sexuality is often goal-orientated in its nature.

33. Sex is a man’s responsibility.

34. Most men come to a sexual situation in a state of constant desire.

35. Men use physical contact as a request for sex.

36. Men believe that every sexual act should include intercourse.

37. Any kind of sexual activity for a man requires an erection.

38. Satisfying sexual activity for a man always includes increasing excitement and passion.

39. A satisfying sexual experience for a man does not really require all that much forethought.

40. Most men have progressive ideas about sex.

41. It is unacceptable for men to reveal their deepest concerns.

42. Men usually think of sex as work.

43. A man is supposed to initiate sexual contact.

44. Men are perpetually ready for sex.

45. Many men are dissatisfied with any bodily contact which is not followed by sexual activity.

46. Many men are only interested in sexual intercourse as a form of sexual stimulation.

47. An erection is considered by almost all men as vital for sex.

48. Men’s sexual desire is often “imperative and driven” in nature.

49. Men consider sex artificial if it is preplanned.

50. In these days of wider availability of accurate information, most men are realistic about their sexual activities.

51. Intense emotional expressiveness should not be discussed by men.

52. Sex is a pressure-filled activity for most men.

53. Men are responsible for choosing sexual positions.

54. Men usually never get enough sex.

55. For men, kissing and touching are merely the preliminaries to sexual activity.

56. During sex, men are always thinking about getting to intercourse.

57. Without an erection, sexual activity for a man will end in misery.

58. Sexual activity must end with an orgasm for a man to feel satisfied.

59. For men, natural sex means “just doing it instinctively.”

60. Most men have realistic insight into their sexual preferences and desires.