Causal Attribution for Coital Orgasm Scale

Abstract

The Causal Attribution for Coital Orgasm Scale (CACOS) is a specialized psychological instrument designed to assess how women explain the causes of achieving or failing to achieve orgasm during coitus. Developed by Critelli, Bridges, and Loos, the scale rigorously applies B. Weiner’s Attribution Theory, focusing on two primary causal dimensions: locus of control (internal versus external) and stability (stable versus unstable). This framework yields four distinct attributional categories: ability (internal-stable), effort (internal-unstable), task difficulty (external-stable), and luck (external-unstable).

The CACOS utilizes a paired-comparison forced-choice format, requiring subjects to select the most accurate explanation for both success (orgasm) and failure (nonorgasm) outcomes. The scale is specifically intended for use with women who have had sufficient coital experience (at least 15 contacts) and have experienced coital orgasm at least once, providing valuable insight into attributional styles related to female sexual response.

Keywords

Causal Attribution for Coital Orgasm Scale, Weiner’s Attribution Theory, sexual attribution, coital orgasm, internal-external locus, stable-unstable dimensions, female sexual function, paired-comparison, sexual psychology.

Authors

Joseph W. Critelli, Charles F. Bridges, Victor E. Loos.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Causal Attribution for Coital Orgasm Scale is to systematically measure the specific causal explanations women use to understand why they either achieve or fail to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse. By quantifying these explanations, researchers can identify patterns of attributional thinking that may correlate with sexual satisfaction, distress, or orgasmic consistency.

This assessment is crucial for investigating the psychological factors underlying female sexual response, specifically examining whether women attribute outcomes to factors within themselves (internal) or outside influences (external), and whether these factors are perceived as permanent (stable) or temporary (unstable).

Construct

The CACOS is fundamentally rooted in Weiner’s Attribution Theory, a key framework in social psychology used to explain how individuals interpret events and relate them to their thinking and behavior. The scale operationalizes the four main attributional categories derived from combining the two core dimensions:

• Internal-Stable: Attributions related to inherent, unchanging personal characteristics (e.g., sexual responsiveness/ability).

• Internal-Unstable: Attributions related to temporary, controllable personal factors (e.g., effort or desire).

• External-Stable: Attributions related to constant environmental or partner factors (e.g., partner’s skill or task difficulty).

• External-Unstable: Attributions related to temporary, unpredictable external factors (e.g., luck or chance).

The scale further allows for the calculation of scores along the overarching dimensions of locus of control (Internal vs. External) and stability (Stable vs. Unstable).

Validity

The validity of the CACOS is strongly supported by its foundation in established psychological theory. The construct validity of the four attributional categories utilized in the scale has been previously established across numerous studies examining spontaneous causal explanations for imagined and real outcomes (Frieze, 1976; Weiner, 1979; Wong & Weiner, 1981).

Specifically within the domain of sexual function, the Causal Attribution for Coital Orgasm Scale has demonstrated practical utility by successfully distinguishing between the attributional styles of women who report high versus low frequencies of coital orgasm (Bridges, 1981; Loos et al., 1987). This capability confirms that the instrument effectively measures meaningful psychological differences related to the interpretation of sexual outcomes.

Reliability

The reliability of the CACOS measurement format is supported by the consistent and reliable use of the paired-comparison forced-choice methodology in broader attribution research, including studies focused on achievement motivation and Weiner’s framework (McMahan, 1973; Weiner & Kukla, 1970).

Furthermore, related studies using this attributional framework and paired-comparison approach (Girodo et al., 1981) reported favorable psychometric properties. Test-retest reliability for success and failure ascriptions ranged from 0.65 to 0.78 (p < 0.001). These studies also indicated high internal consistency of causal preferences across the four causal categories, with Kendall’s tau coefficients ranging from 0.22 (p < 0.05) to 0.70 (p < 0.001).

Factor Analysis

Formal factor analysis results are not explicitly detailed in the source content. However, the scale design is inherently structured around a theoretical two-factor model (Locus and Stability) derived directly from Weiner’s comprehensive attributional framework.

The scoring procedure confirms this theoretical structure by summing specific item combinations across the four attributional quadrants to derive composite scores for the two major dimensions: locus of control (Internal-Stable + Internal-Unstable) and stability (Internal-Stable + External-Stable).

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale.

Format: Paired-comparison forced-choice questionnaire, consisting of two sections (Orgasm and Nonorgasm outcomes), each containing six paired options.

Language Available: English (Original research language).

Population Group: Adult Women.

Age Group: Adult population (Age not strictly specified).

Population Details: Respondents must have had at least 15 coital contacts and must have experienced coital orgasm at least one time.

Test Methodology: Respondents place a check mark next to the one choice in each pair they believe is more accurate for them. The questionnaire requires no more than 10 minutes to complete. Scoring yields four attributional scores (0 to 3) and two dimensional scores (Locus of Control and Stability).

Keywords

Sexual health, psychological assessment, coital outcomes, attributional style, female sexuality, internal consistency, forced-choice, psychological measurement, stability dimension, psychometric reliability.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (Joseph W. Critelli).

Correspondence Address: Joseph W. Critelli, Department of Psychology, North Texas State University, P.O. Box 13587, Denton, TX 76203–3587.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was utilized in key research published in 1987 (Loos, Bridges, & Critelli). Information regarding specific permissions and commercial fees is not provided in the source material, but correspondence regarding use should be directed to the corresponding author, Joseph W. Critelli.

Reference’s

Bridges, C. F. (1981). Orgasm consistency, causal attribution, and inhibitory control. Unpublished master’s thesis, North Texas State University, Denton, TX.

Crandall, V. C., Katkovsky, W., & Crandall, V. J. (1965). Children’s beliefs in their own control of reinforcements in intellectual-academic achievement situations. Child Development, 46, 91–109.

Frieze, I. H. (1976). Causal attributions and information seeking to explain success and failure. Journal of Research in Personality, 10, 293–305.

Girodo, M., Dotzenroth, S. E., & Stein, S. J. (1981). Causal attribution bias in shy males: Implications for self-esteem and self-confidence. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 5, 325–338.

Loos, V. E., Bridges, C. F., & Critelli, J. W. (1987). Weiner’s attribution theory and female orgasmic consistency. The Journal of Sex Research, 23, 348–361.

McMahan, I. D. (1973). Relationships between causal attributions and expectancy of success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28, 108–114.

Weiner, B. (1979). A theory of motivation for some classroom experiences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 3–25.

Weiner, B., & Kukla, A. (1970). An attributional analysis of achievement motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 15, 1–20.

Weiner, B., Nierenberg, R., & Goldstein, M. (1976). Social learning (locus of control) versus attributional (causal stability) interpretations of expectancy of success. Journal of Personality, 44, 52–68.

Weiner, B., Russell, D., & Lerman, D. (1978). Affective consequences of causal ascriptions. In J. H. Harvey, W. J. Ickes, & R. F. Kidd (Eds.), New directions in attribution research (Vol. 1, pp. 59–90). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Wong, T. P., & Weiner, B. (1981). Why people ask “why” questions, and the heuristics of attributional search. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40, 650–663.

Items of the Causal Attribution for Coital Orgasm Scale

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

Complete the following sentence by placing a check mark in front of the ONE CHOICE IN EACH PAIR of choices which you believe is MORE ACCURATE FOR YOU. Please respond to all six choices.

When I have an orgasm during coitus, it is typically because: (Select one answer from each pair.)

• I am typically sexually responsive. OR I particularly wanted to have an orgasm.
• I particularly wanted to have an orgasm. OR My partner is a good lover.
• My partner is a good lover. OR It was a matter of luck.
• It was a matter of luck. OR I am typically sexually responsive.
• My partner is a good lover OR I am typically sexually responsive.
• I particularly wanted to have an orgasm. OR It was a matter of luck.

Complete the following sentence by placing a check mark in front of the ONE CHOICE IN EACH PAIR of choices which you believe is MORE ACCURATE FOR YOU. Please respond to all six choices.

When I do not have an orgasm during coitus, it is typically because: (Select one answer from each pair.)

• I am typically sexually unresponsive. OR I did not particularly want to have an orgasm.
• I did not particularly want to have an orgasm. OR My partner is not a good lover.
• My partner is not a good lover. OR It was a matter of luck.
• It was a matter of luck. OR I am typically sexually unresponsive.
• My partner is not a good lover. OR I am typically sexually unresponsive.
• I did not particularly want to have an orgasm. OR It was a matter of luck.