Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Scale

Abstract

The Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Scale (NATMS) is a Likert-type scale consisting of 30 items, 10 of which require reversed scoring. Developed by Abramson and Mosher (1975), this psychological inventory is designed to measure negative attitudes specifically associated with the act of masturbation. The instrument uses a 5-point response format, ranging from “not at all true for me” to “extremely true for me.”

The scale items were generated from open-ended responses collected from college subjects regarding the perceived consequences of masturbation (Abramson, 1973), making the instrument particularly appropriate for educated populations of both men and women. The scale requires approximately seven minutes to complete.

Keywords

Masturbation-guilt, masturbation, negative attitudes, sexual behavior, sex-guilt, psychological inventory, Likert scale, sexual script, psychometric data, affective response.

Authors

P. R. Abramson, Donald L. Mosher.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Scale is to quantify the degree of negative affect and beliefs an individual holds regarding masturbation. It was specifically developed to serve as a reliable measure of the psychological construct known as masturbation-guilt (Mosher, 1979b; Mosher & Vonderheide, 1985).

The scale assists researchers and clinicians in understanding how internalized negative attitudes, often stemming from cultural or religious myths, predict and regulate an individual’s sexual conduct and affective responses in scenes related to or associatively linked with masturbatory behavior. It provides a numerical index of this specific form of sexual guilt.

Construct

The central construct measured by the NATMS is Masturbation-guilt. This construct is conceptualized as a psychological “script”—a framework of rules used to organize and interpret a family of associated behavioral scenes. These scenes are learned experiences where negative affects, such as guilt, disgust, shame, and fear, have reciprocally interacted with cognitions about masturbation, including general fantasies and adherence to sex myths.

As a script, masturbation-guilt actively predicts, interprets, regulates, and evaluates conduct in scenes entailing masturbation or in scenes associatively linked through family resemblance of affect, objects, or scene features to past imagined masturbatory scenes. Although related to general sex-guilt (Mosher, 1966), the NATMS focuses specifically on the negative cognitions and affects surrounding self-stimulation.

Validity

The NATMS has demonstrated substantial predictive and construct validity across numerous studies, showing its ability to predict specific sexual and affective responses. High scores on the scale (indicating greater masturbation-guilt) successfully predicted decreased frequency and a lower percentage of orgasm during masturbatory behavior (Abramson & Mosher, 1975; Mosher & O’Grady, 1979).

Furthermore, high guilt scores correlated with less subjective sexual arousal and more negative affective responses when subjects viewed explicit films of male and female masturbation (Mosher & Abramson, 1977; Mosher & O’Grady, 1979). The scale also predicted less positive projective stories in response to films of masturbation (Abramson & Mosher, 1979) and more negative affect when recalling memories of past masturbation (Green & Mosher, 1985).

In physiological studies, women with high NATMS scores showed less pelvic vasocongestion, as measured by thermography, while reading an erotic story (Abramson et al., 1981). Additionally, the scale predicted more negative attitudes toward contraceptives and avoidance of methods like the diaphragm (Mosher & Vonderheide, 1985). The instrument also exhibits evidence of discriminant validity from general sex-guilt, confirming its focus on a specific aspect of guilt over sexuality.

Reliability

The reliability of the NATMS has been established through initial split-half measures and subsequent internal consistency analyses.

For the original sample of 198 male and female college students, a corrected split-half reliability coefficient of .75 was reported (Abramson & Mosher, 1975). Later research focusing on internal consistency confirmed the scale’s robustness, yielding a high Cronbach alpha coefficient of .94 for a sample of 186 college women (Mosher & Vonderheide, 1985).

Factor Analysis

Although the inventory is generally utilized as a homogeneous measure designed to capture a single underlying dimension (masturbation-guilt), a descriptive factor analysis conducted during the scale’s development identified three preliminary factors (Abramson & Mosher, 1975). These factors suggest diverse components underpinning negative attitudes:

• Positive attitudes toward masturbation (though the scale primarily measures the negative pole).
• False beliefs regarding the harmful or destructive nature of masturbation.
• Personally experienced negative affects (e.g., guilt, shame, disgust) associated with masturbation.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Inventory

Format: 30 items, 5-point Likert-type scale anchored by 1 (“not at all true for me”) to 5 (“extremely true for me”). Ten items are reverse-scored (Items 3, 5, 8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 22, 27, and 29).

Language Available: English (Original development language)

Population Group: General adult population, typically used in sexual research with educated individuals.

Age Group: Adults (Primarily college-age populations in validation studies).

Population Details: The items were derived from open-ended responses from college subjects, making the instrument highly suitable for educated populations of both men and women. Administration time is approximately 7 minutes.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their choice by circling a number or, more commonly in large samples, marking selections on machine-scoreable answer sheets. Scores are summed across all 30 items (after reversing the designated items) to yield a total score ranging from 30 to 150. Higher scores indicate greater levels of masturbation-guilt.

Keywords

Sexual scripts, guilt, shame, affect, thermography, sexual arousal, self-report, psychometrics, sex myths, contraceptive attitudes.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Donald L. Mosher, 648 Ternberry Forest Drive, The Villages, FL 32162.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was originally developed and published in 1975 (Abramson & Mosher, 1975). Specific information regarding current usage fees or formal licensing permissions is not provided in the source material, but correspondence can be addressed to the corresponding author, Donald L. Mosher.

Reference’s

Abramson, P. R. (1973). The relationship of the frequency of masturbation to several aspects of behavior. The Journal of Sex Research, 9, 132–142.

Abramson, P. R., & Mosher, D. L. (1975). The development of a measure of negative attitudes toward masturbation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 43, 485–490.

Abramson, P. R., & Mosher, D. L. (1979). Am empirical investigation of experimentally induced masturbatory fantasies. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 8, 24–39.

Abramson, P. R., Perry, L. B., Rothblatt, A., Seeley, T. T., & Seeley, D. M. (1981). Negative attitudes toward masturbation and pelvic vasocon- gestion: Athermographic analysis. Journal of Research in Personality, 15, 497–509.

Green, S. E., & Mosher, D. L. (1985). A causal model of arousal to erotic fantasies. The Journal of Sex Research, 21, 1–23.

Mosher, D. L. (1966). The development and multitrait-multimethod matrix analysis of three measures of three aspects of guilt. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 30, 35–39.

Mosher, D. L. (1968). Measurement of guilt in females by self-report inventories. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 32, 690–695.

Mosher, D. L. (1979a). The meaning and measurement of guilt. In C. E. Izard (Ed.), Emotions in personality and psychopathology (pp. 105–129). New York: Plenum.

Mosher, D. L. (1979b). Negative attitudes toward masturbation in sex therapy. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 5, 315–333.

Mosher, D. L., & Abramson, P. R. (1977). Subjective sexual arousal to films of masturbation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 796–807.

Mosher, D. L., & O’Grady, K. E. (1979). Homosexual threat, negative attitudes toward masturbation, sex guilt, and male’s sexual and affective reactions to explicit sexual films. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47, 860–873.

Mosher, D. L., & Vonderheide, S. G. (1985). Contributions of sex guilt and masturbation guilt to women’s contraceptive attitudes and use. The Journal of Sex Research, 21, 24–39.

Items of the Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Scale

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

The following 30 items sample diverse opinions and attitudes about masturbation. Masturbation means stimulating your own genitals to enjoy the pleasurable sensations or experience orgasm. Answers are to be marked on the separate answer sheet. Marking 1 means the item is not at all true for you; marking 2 means it is somewhat untrue; marking 3 means you are undecided; marking 4 means it is somewhat true; marking 5 means it is strongly true for you.

1. People masturbate to escape feelings of tension and anxiety.
2. People who masturbate will not enjoy sexual intercourse as much as those who refrain from masturbation.
3. Masturbation is a private matter which neither harms nor concerns anyone else.
4. Masturbation is a sin against yourself.
5. Masturbation in childhood can help a person develop a natural, healthy attitude toward sex.
6. Masturbation in an adult is juvenile and immature.
7. Masturbation can lead to homosexuality.
8. Excessive masturbation is a needless worry, as it is physically impossible.
9. If you enjoy masturbating too much, you may never learn to relate to the opposite sex.
10. After masturbating, a person feels degraded.
11. Experience with masturbation can potentially help a woman become orgastic in sexual intercourse.
12. I feel guilty about masturbating.
13. Masturbation can be a “friend in need” when there is no “friend in deed.”
14. Masturbation can provide an outlet for sex fantasies without harming anyone else or endangering oneself.
15. Excessive masturbation can lead to problems of impotence in men and frigidity in women.
16. Masturbation is an escape mechanism which prevents a person from developing a mature sexual outlook.
17. Masturbation can provide harmless relief from sexual tension.
18. Playing with your own genitals is disgusting.
19. Excessive masturbation is associated with neurosis, depression, and behavioral problems.
20. Any masturbation is too much.
21. Masturbation is a compulsive, addictive habit which once begun is almost impossible to stop.
22. Masturbation is fun.
23. When I masturbate, I am disgusted with myself.
24. A pattern of frequent masturbation is associated with introversion and withdrawal from social contacts.
25. I would be ashamed to admit publicly that I have masturbated.
26. Excessive masturbation leads to mental dullness and fatigue.
27. Masturbation is a normal sexual outlet.
28. Masturbation is caused by an excessive preoccupation with thoughts about sex.
29. Masturbation can teach you to enjoy the sensuousness of your own body.
30. After I masturbate, I am disgusted with myself for losing control of my body.