Index of Sexual Satisfaction Scale

Abstract

The Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS) is a 25-item, self-report scale designed by Walter W. Hudson to quantify the degree of sexual discord or dissatisfaction experienced by an individual within a dyadic relationship. The instrument uses a category-partition, or Likert-type, response format. Raw scores are standardized to a range of 0 to 100, where higher scores consistently indicate greater levels of sexual dissatisfaction.

The ISS employs a clinical cutting score of 30; scores exceeding this threshold suggest the presence of a clinically significant degree of sexual discord in the relationship, making it a valuable tool for practitioners. The scale is suitable for all English-speaking populations aged 12 and older, supported by high readability statistics (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 5).

Keywords

Sexual satisfaction, sexual discord, relationship assessment, dyadic relationship, social work, psychological assessment, Walter W. Hudson.

Authors

Walter W. Hudson, WALMYR Publishing Co.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS) is to provide a reliable and rapid quantitative measure of the subjective dissatisfaction concerning the sexual component of an intimate partnership. It is designed as a short-form screening tool to identify the presence and severity of sexual discord.

The scale assists professional practitioners in clinical settings by offering an objective metric that can be used to track changes in sexual satisfaction over time during therapy or intervention. Its brevity ensures minimal respondent burden, typically requiring only 5–7 minutes for completion.

Construct

The ISS measures the psychological construct of Sexual Satisfaction (or inversely, Sexual Discord) as experienced by one partner in a dyadic relationship. This construct encompasses the individual’s emotional and psychological evaluation of the quality, frequency, and mutual enjoyment derived from sexual interactions with their partner.

The instrument is sensitive to various dimensions of dissatisfaction, including feelings of aversion, monotony, and perceived lack of quality or excitement. To enhance measurement accuracy and reduce systematic error, several items are negatively worded to partially offset the potential for response set bias commonly found in self-report measures.

Validity

The validity of the ISS is supported by known groups analysis. The known groups validity coefficient was calculated at 0.76, derived from the point biserial correlation between the ISS scores and established criterion groups (specifically, relationships categorized as “troubled” versus “untroubled”).

More comprehensive details regarding the content validity, factorial validity, and construct validity of the instrument are reported in the official documentation. Qualified users seeking exhaustive psychometric information should refer to the WALMYR Assessment Scale Scoring Manual, which is available directly from the publisher.

Reliability

The Index of Sexual Satisfaction demonstrates strong internal consistency reliability. The reported Cronbach’s alpha coefficient is 0.92, indicating that the 25 items are highly intercorrelated and effectively measure a single underlying construct (sexual dissatisfaction).

The Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) for the scale is reported as 4.24. It is important to note that specific data pertaining to test-retest reliability were not available in the provided source material, which may be a consideration for researchers planning longitudinal studies using the ISS.

Factor Analysis

While specific factor analytic results (such as the number of factors extracted or variance explained) are not detailed in the summary description, the scale is designed to measure the singular construct of sexual discord. The source material confirms that information concerning the factorial validity of the ISS has been investigated and is fully documented in the WALMYR Assessment Scale Scoring Manual.

In practice, the ISS is generally utilized as a unidimensional scale, providing an aggregate score of overall sexual dissatisfaction within the relationship. The psychometric rigor reported in the manual ensures that the scale items adequately load onto the intended latent construct.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale

Format: 25 Likert-type items utilizing a 7-point relative frequency scale (category-partition)

Language Available: English

Population Group: Individuals in a dyadic relationship (married, cohabiting, or otherwise intimate partners)

Age Group: 12 years and older

Population Details: The scale is highly accessible due to its excellent readability statistics: Flesch Reading Ease score of 79, Gunning’s Fog Index of 8, and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of 5.

Test Methodology: The scale is self-administered and typically requires 5–7 minutes. Scoring involves identifying and reverse-scoring 12 specific items (1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, and 23) before calculating the final standardized score using the formula S = (ΣXi – N)(100) / [(K–1)N]. This formula ensures scores range from 0 to 100 and maintains validity even with missing values, provided the respondent completes at least 80% of the items.

Keywords

Psychometrics, self-report, relationship satisfaction, sex therapy, clinical cutoff score, Cronbach’s alpha, Walmyr Publishing.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: WALMYR Publishing Co., P.O. Box 12217, Tallahassee, FL 32317-2217

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS) is a proprietary, copyrighted commercial assessment scale (Copyright © 1993, Walter W. Hudson). Strict usage guidelines are enforced by the publisher, WALMYR Publishing Co.

The scale may not be copied, reproduced, altered, or translated into other languages without explicit permission. Furthermore, the instrument may not be administered online or hosted on a website for public use. It is intended solely for use by competent professionals, researchers, scholars, and those engaged in supervised training, and is not suitable for untrained individuals.

The scale may be purchased from the publisher in tear-off pads of 50 copies each for $22.50 (price subject to change). Ordering information is available at www.walmyr.com.

Reference’s

• Hudson, W. W., Harrison, D. F., & Crosscup, P. C. (1981). A short-form scale to measure sexual discord in dyadic relationships. The Journal of Sex Research, 17, 157–174.
• Murphy, G. J. (1978). The family in later life: A cross-ethnic study in marital and sexual satisfaction. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Tulane University, New Orleans.
• Murphy, G. J., Hudson, W. W., & Cheung, P. P. L. (1980). Marital and sexual discord among older couples. Social Work Research & Abstracts, 161, 11–16.
• Nurius, P. S., & Hudson, W. W. (1993), Human services practice, evaluation & computers. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Items of the Index of Sexual Satisfaction scale

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

Name: ……………………………………………….. Today’s Date:………………………………………………..

This questionnaire is designed to measure the degree of satisfaction you have in the sexual relationship with your partner. It is not a test, so there are no right or wrong answers. Answer each item as carefully and as accurately as you can by placing a number beside each one as follows.

• 1 = None of the time
• 2 = Very rarely
• 3 = A little of the time
• 4 = Some of the time
• 5 = A good part of the time
• 6 = Most of the time
• 7 = All of the time

1. I feel that my partner enjoys our sex life.
2. Our sex life is very exciting.
3. Sex is fun for my partner and me.
4. Sex with my partner has become a chore for me.
5. I feel that our sex is dirty and disgusting.
6. Our sex life is monotonous.
7. When we have sex it is too rushed and hurriedly completed.
8. I feel that my sex life is lacking in quality.
9. My partner is sexually very exciting.
10. I enjoy the sex techniques that my partner likes or uses.
11. I feel that my partner wants too much sex from me.
12. I think that our sex is wonderful.
13. My partner dwells on sex too much.
14. I try to avoid sexual contact with my partner.
15. My partner is too rough or brutal when we have sex.
16. My partner is wonderful sex mate.
17. I feel that sex is a normal function of our relationship.
18. My partner does not want sex when I do.
19. I feel that our sex life really adds a lot to our relationship.
20. My partner seems to avoid sexual contact with me.
21. It is easy for me to get sexually excited by my partner.
22. I feel that my partner is sexually pleased with me.
23. My partner is very sensitive to my sexual needs and desires.
24. My partner does not satisfy me sexually.
25. I feel that my sex life is boring.

Note: Items 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, and 23 are reverse scored.