Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale for Female Function

Abstract

The Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale for Female Functioning (SSES-F) is a specialized, multidimensional measure designed to assess a woman’s perceived competence across the behavioral, cognitive, and affective dimensions of her sexual response. Developed as a female counterpart to the SSES-E (Erectile Functioning Scale for men), the SSES-F is widely utilized in both clinical settings for screening and assessment, and in research examining factors such as sexual adjustment, marital satisfaction, and the psychological impact of conditions like genital pain (e.g., provoked vestibulodynia).

The instrument comprises 37 items that sample capabilities across the four traditional phases of sexual response—interest, desire, arousal, and orgasm—while also evaluating individual and interpersonal aspects of sexual expression, including communication, body acceptance, and overall enjoyment of sexual activities. The resulting scores provide both a comprehensive overall measure of sexual self-efficacy strength and specific scores across eight empirically derived subscales.

Keywords

Sexual Self-Efficacy, Female Sexual Function, Psychosexual Problems, Sexual Adjustment, Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment, Orgasm, Arousal, Marital Satisfaction, Self-Perceived Competence

Authors

SALLY BAILES, LAURA CRETI, CATHERINE S. FICHTEN, EVA LIBMAN, WILLIAM BRENDER, RHONDA AMSEL

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale for Female Functioning (SSES-F) is to quantify a woman’s belief in her ability to successfully execute sexual behaviors and manage related emotional and cognitive aspects of sexual interaction. The evaluation and potential alteration of these self-efficacy expectations are considered crucial components in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of various psychosexual problems.

The scale serves as a comprehensive diagnostic and assessment tool, offering clinicians and researchers a detailed profile of perceived competence across multiple dimensions of female sexuality. This multidimensional approach allows for targeted interventions, moving beyond simple measures of sexual satisfaction to focus on the underlying belief structures that govern sexual functioning and adjustment.

Construct

The SSES-F measures Sexual Self-Efficacy, defined as perceived competence in executing behaviors related to sexual response. This construct is sampled across three major domains: behavioral competence (e.g., initiating activities, achieving orgasm), cognitive competence (e.g., anticipating sex without anxiety), and affective competence (e.g., feeling comfortable with one’s body, enjoying affection). The scale specifically maps these competencies onto four widely recognized phases of the sexual response cycle: interest, desire, arousal, and orgasm.

The 37 items are organized into eight empirically derived subscales, reflecting the complex, multifaceted nature of female sexual expression. These subscales address both individual experiences (e.g., Individual Arousal, Body Acceptance) and interpersonal dynamics (e.g., Communication, Interpersonal Orgasm), emphasizing that sexual self-efficacy is rooted in both personal capacity and relational interaction.

Validity

Preliminary validity analysis, reported by Creti et al. (1989), established significant correlations between the SSES-F overall strength score and established measures of sexual and marital adjustment in both nonclinical and clinical samples. Specifically, the SSES-F demonstrated significant positive correlations with instruments such as the Sexual History Form, the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS), the Sexual Interaction Inventory, and the Locke Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale.

The scale exhibits strong discriminant validity, as evidenced by significantly lower overall strength scores among women presenting for sex therapy due to sexual dysfunction compared to women reporting no sexual dysfunction from a community sample. Dysfunctional women scored particularly lower on the Interpersonal Orgasm, Interpersonal Interest/Desire, Sensuality, and Communication subscales. Furthermore, the SSES-F has proven sensitive to specific clinical populations; for instance, women with provoked vestibulodynia demonstrated lower scores on the total SSES-F and the Sensuality, Affection, and Communication subscales compared to controls (Sutton et al., 2009). Research also supports its role as a mediating variable between a woman’s sexual self-schema and her overall sexual adjustment (Reissing et al., 2005).

Reliability

The reliability of the SSES-F was assessed using a nonclinical sample of 131 women (age range 25 to 68 years). The evaluation demonstrated excellent internal consistency for the overall instrument, yielding a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .93. Internal consistency coefficients for the eight separate subscales were also robust, ranging from α = .70 to α = .87.

Test-retest reliability, assessed over a four-week interval (N=36), indicated good stability over time. The correlation for the total strength score was high (r = .83, p < .001), and subscale correlations ranged from .50 to .93. Furthermore, the correlation between the total SSES-F scores reported by married or cohabiting women and their male partners was moderate and significant (r = .46, p < .001), suggesting meaningful inter-rater reliability within partnered contexts.

Factor Analysis

A factor analysis was performed on the confidence ratings of the initial nonclinical sample (N=131) using a varimax rotation. This analysis successfully identified eight significant factors, which collectively accounted for 68% of the total variance in the scale responses. These eight factors correspond directly to the established subscales of the SSES-F:

• Interpersonal Orgasm (Items 4, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37)

• Interpersonal Interest/Desire (Items 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 22)

• Sensuality (Items 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27)

• Individual Arousal (Items 24, 25, 26, 31)

• Affection (Items 8, 15, 16)

• Communication (Items 12, 13, 14, 23, 35)

• Body Acceptance (Items 2, 3)

• Refusal (Items 10, 11)

Subscale-total correlations ranged from .31 to .85, indicating that the subscales contribute reasonably to the overall self-efficacy strength score. Intersubscale correlations were moderate (range = .08 to .63), suggesting that while the subscales are related, they measure distinct aspects of female sexual functioning.

Instrument

Test Type:

Psychometric Self-Report Scale measuring perceived competence.

Format:

37 items requiring a binary “Can Do” check and a corresponding confidence rating.

Language Available:

English, French.

Population Group:

Women (single or partnered); partners may also complete a version of the scale.

Age Group:

All ages (tested sample ranged from 25 to 68 years).

Population Details:

Applicable to both nonclinical and clinical samples, including those undergoing sex therapy or dealing with specific conditions like provoked vestibulodynia.

Test Methodology:

Respondents first check “Can Do” (Column I) if they believe they are capable of the activity. They then rate their confidence level (Column II) on a scale from 10 (Quite Uncertain) to 100 (Quite Certain). Unchecked items are scored as zero confidence. Completion time is approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Keywords

SSES-F, Self-Efficacy, Sexual Response Cycle, Psychosexual Problems, Sex Therapy, Internal Consistency, Confidence Rating, Validation Study, Varimax Rotation

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier:

Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses:

[email protected] (Correspondence Author)

Correspondence Address:

Sally Bailes, Department of Psychiatry, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, 4333 Cote Ste. Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E4, Canada.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and initially validated in 1989 (Creti et al., 1989). Specific details regarding current permissions and user fees are not provided in the source material, but correspondence should be directed to the stated address.

Reference’s

• Creti, L., Bailes, S., Fichten, C., Libman, E., Amsel, R., Liederman, G., et al. (1989, August). Validation of the Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale for Females. Poster presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.

• Fichten, C. S., Budd, J., Spector, I., Amsel, R., Creti, L., Brender, W., et al. (2010). Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale—Erectile Functioning. In T. D. Fisher, C. M. Davis, W. L. Yarber, & S. L. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of sexuality-related measures. New York: Routledge.

• Kimmel, D., & Van der Veen, F. (1974). Factors of marital adjustment. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 36, 57.

• Libman, E., Rothenberg, I., Fichten, C. S., & Amsel, R. (1985). The SSES- E: A measure of sexual self-efficacy in erectile functioning. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 11, 233–244.

• LoPiccolo, J., & Steger, J. C. (1974). The Sexual Interaction Inventory: A new instrument for assessment of sexual dysfunction. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1, 585–595.

• Nowinski, J. K., & LoPiccolo, J. (1979). Assessing sexual behavior in couples. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 5, 225–243.

• Oluwole, D. A. (2008). Marital satisfaction: Connections of self-disclosure, sexual self-efficacy and spirituality among Nigerian women. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 5, 464–469.

• Reissing, E. D., Laliberté, G. M., & Davis, H. J. (2005). Young women’s sexual adjustment: The role of sexual self-schema, sexual self-efficacy, sexual aversion and body attitudes. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 14(3), 77–85.

• Rust, J., & Golombok, S. (1985). The Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS). British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 24, 63–64.

• Sutton, K. S., Pukall, C. F., & Chamberlain, S. (2009). Pain ratings, sensory thresholds, and psychosocial functioning in women with provoked vestibulodynia. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 35, 262–281.

Items of the Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale for Female Functioning

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

The attached form lists sexual activities that women engage in.

For women respondents only:

Under column I (Can Do), check (✓) the activities you think you could do if you were asked to do them today. For only those activities you checked in column I, rate your degree of confidence that you could do them by selecting a number from 10 to 100 using the scale given below. Write this number in column II (Confidence).

For partners only:

Under column I (Can Do), check (✓) the activities you think your female partner could do if she were asked to do them today. For only those activities you checked in column I, rate your degree of confidence that your female partner could do them by selecting a number from 10 to 100 using the scale given below. Write this number in column II (Confidence).

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Quite Moderately Quite

Uncertain Certain Certain If you think your partner is not able to do a particular activity, leave columns I and II blank for that activity.