Attitudes About Sadomasochism Scale

Abstract

The Attitudes About Sadomasochism Scale (ASMS), developed by Megan R. Yost (2010), is a 23-item, multidimensional instrument designed to measure stereotypical and prejudicial attitudes held toward individuals involved in consensual, sexual Sadomasochism (SM). The scale was developed using an initial sample of 213 participants and validated on a subsequent sample of 258. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a robust four-factor structure, which includes subscales measuring judgments of Socially Wrong, Violence associations, Lack of Tolerance, and the extent to which SM interests are believed to manifest in Real Life behavior. The ASMS utilizes a 7-point Likert-type scale for response and is a reliable and valid tool for assessing specific anti-SM bias within professional or general populations.

Keywords

Attitudes About Sadomasochism Scale, ASMS, Sadomasochism, SM, BDSM, Prejudice, Sexual Minorities, Factor Analysis, Sexual Conservatism, Stigma, Discrimination.

Authors

Megan R. Yost

Purpose

The primary purpose of the ASMS is to provide a reliable and validated psychometric tool for assessing the prevalence and specific dimensions of anti-SM prejudice and stereotypical attitudes. This measurement is deemed necessary because bias against individuals practicing consensual Sadomasochism has been extensively documented across various societal domains, including mental health professions and legal systems.

By quantifying these attitudes, the ASMS serves as a critical instrument for researchers and social scientists studying discrimination against sexual minorities. Furthermore, it is highly useful for identifying anti-SM bias among professionals—such as psychotherapists, lawyers, judges, and police—whose discriminatory attitudes could result in serious consequences for SM practitioners (e.g., in custody cases or legal proceedings).

Construct

The ASMS measures prejudicial attitudes toward individuals involved in consensual Sadomasochism (SM). Sadomasochism, in this context, refers to the safe and consensual sexual activities of an adult subculture that practices bondage, discipline, domination, submission, sadism, and masochism as part of their sexual interactions.

The scale captures the belief systems that underpin negative evaluations of SM practitioners, viewing such attitudes as an extension of general sex-negative attitudes or sexual conservatism. The measure specifically targets four distinct dimensions of prejudice: moral condemnation (Socially Wrong), association with violence (Violence), lack of acceptance (Lack of Tolerance), and the belief in the pervasive negative impact of SM interests on daily life (Real Life).

Validity

Validation analyses conducted on the total sample of 471 participants demonstrated good concurrent and discriminant validity for the ASMS subscales.

Regarding concurrent validity, all subscales showed positive correlations with measures of general sexual conservatism and prejudicial attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, suggesting that anti-SM bias often aligns with broader sex-negative viewpoints. Specifically, the Socially Wrong subscale correlated most strongly with measures of right-wing authoritarianism, consistent with its focus on moral judgment and societal order. Crucially, the Violence subscale was the only factor significantly correlated with a measure of rape myths, indicating that participants who endorsed victim-blaming beliefs also inaccurately associated SM activity with rape.

The ASMS also demonstrated discriminant validity through its ability to differentiate between groups based on their involvement with SM. Participants who had greater prior knowledge of SM, identified as SM practitioners, or had friends involved in SM displayed significantly more positive attitudes. A multiple regression analysis further confirmed the scale’s specificity, showing that 58% of the variance in ASMS scores was unexplained by other established social and sexual conservatism scales, proving that the ASMS captures a set of attitudes specific to Sadomasochism that do not overlap with already-developed attitudinal scales.

Reliability

Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha across all 471 participants. The reliability coefficients for the four subscales ranged from .78 to .92. This range indicates that the ASMS possesses very good internal consistency, ensuring that the items within each subscale reliably measure their intended underlying construct.

Factor Analysis

The development of the ASMS began with 58 initial items administered to an exploratory sample (N=213). After deleting items lacking variance or loading highly on multiple factors, an exploratory factor analysis yielded the preliminary four-factor model. This structure was later confirmed using a second validation sample (N=258).

The final 23-item structure was confirmed via confirmatory factor_analysis, yielding fit indices above .90, which support the adequacy of the four-structure model. The four established subscales are:

1. Socially Wrong: Measures the belief that SM behavior is morally wrong and socially undesirable.
2. Violence: Assesses the stereotypical linkage of consensual SM activity with violence against an unwilling partner.
3. Lack of Tolerance: Measures acceptance of SM as a legitimate form of sexuality among willing partners (these items are reverse scored).
4. Real Life: Gauges the belief that SM practitioners extend their interests, such as dominance or submission, into non-sexual aspects of their daily lives.

Instrument

Test Type: Psychometric Attitude Scale (Self-report)

Format: 23 items utilizing a 7-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (Disagree Strongly) to 7 (Agree Strongly), with a neutral midpoint of 4 (Neither Agree nor Disagree).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General adult population; specifically useful for surveying professionals (psychotherapists, legal personnel) who interact with SM practitioners.

Age Group: Adult

Population Details: Developed (N=213) and validated (N=258) on a combined sample of 471 participants.

Test Methodology: Pencil-and-paper or digital self-administration. Completion time is approximately 10 minutes. Scoring involves reverse-coding the four positive items (all items in the Lack of Tolerance subscale) so that higher scores consistently indicate more negative attitudes about SM or SM practitioners.

Keywords

Attitude Measurement, Anti-SM Bias, Sexual Conservatism, Cronbach’s Alpha, Psychological Assessment, Stigma Reduction, Contact Hypothesis, BDSM Prejudice, Megan R. Yost.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Megan R. Yost, Department of Psychology, Dickinson College, P. O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 2010 (Publication year of scale development).

Permissions and Fees: Information regarding current usage permissions and fees is not provided in the source material. Contact the author for specific usage requirements.

Reference’s

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Items of the Attitudes About Sadomasochism Scale

Instructions: For each of the following statements, please note whether you agree or disagree using the following scale:

Use the following definitions when considering your responses:

Sadomasochism: sexual practices that involve dominance and submission (the appearance that one person has control over the other), sometimes involve role-playing (such as Master-Slave or Teacher-Student), and are always consensual (all partners participate willingly and voluntarily)

Sadomasochist: someone who deliberately uses physical stimulation (possibly pain) and/or psychological stimulation and control to produce sexual arousal and to achieve sexual pleasure

Dominant: someone who always or mostly is the person in control during an SM sexual encounter

Submissive: someone who always or mostly is the person who does not have control during an SM sexual encounter

Factor 1: Socially Wrong

• Sadomasochists just don’t fit into our society.
• Practicing sadomasochists should not be allowed to be members of churches or synagogues.
• Sadomasochism is a perversion.
• Sadomasochistic behavior is just plain wrong.
• Sadomasochism is a threat to many of our basic social institutions.
• I think sadomasochists are disgusting.
• Sadomasochistic activity should be against the law.
• Parents who engage in SM are more likely to physically abuse their children.
• Sadomasochism is an inferior form of sexuality.
• If I was alone in a room with someone I knew to be a Dominant, I would feel uncomfortable.
• SM rarely exists in a psychologically healthy individual.
• If I was alone in a room with someone I knew to be a Submissive, I would feel uncomfortable.

Factor 2: Violence

• People who engage in SM are more likely to become involved in domestic violence.
• A Dominant is more likely to rape a romantic partner than the average person.
• A Dominant is more likely to rape a stranger than the average person.
• A Dominant is more likely to sexually molest a child than the average person.
• A variety of serious psychological disorders are associated with sadomasochism.

Factor 3: Lack of Tolerance

• Sadomasochists are just like everybody else. (R)
• Sadomasochism is erotic and sexy. (R)
• Many sadomasochists are very moral and ethical people. (R)
• Sadomasochistic activity should be legal, as long as all participants are consenting adults. (R)

Factor 4: Real Life

• Submissives are passive in other aspects of their lives (besides sex).
• Dominants are aggressive and domineering in other aspects of their lives (besides sex).