Female Sexual Resourcefulness Scale

Abstract

The Female Sexual Resourcefulness Scale (FSRS) is a psychological instrument designed to assess the specific self-control strategies utilized by women when navigating and responding to unwanted sexual encounters or advances. Developed by Terry P. Humphreys and Deborah J. Kennett in 2008, the scale is grounded in Rosenbaum’s model of learned resourcefulness. The FSRS posits that being sexually resourceful empowers women by providing them with a concrete repertoire of strategies necessary for asserting boundaries, saying no, or physically leaving situations involving verbal or nonverbal pressure to consent.

The scale measures an individual’s capacity to employ self-regulatory skills in sexually challenging situations, which is believed to be moderated by process regulating cognitions (PRCs) such as Sexual Self-Efficacy. These cognitive and behavioral skills allow women to manage affective and physiological responses (like sexual arousal) to prevent unwanted sexual activity, reflecting a specific application of general learned resourcefulness skills.

Keywords

Female Sexual Resourcefulness Scale, FSRS, Learned resourcefulness, Self-regulation, Sexual Self-Efficacy, Unwanted sexual activity, Sexual coercion, Self-control strategies, Psychological assessment.

Authors

Terry P. Humphreys, Deborah J. Kennett

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Female Sexual Resourcefulness Scale (FSRS) is to quantify the behavioral and cognitive strategies women employ to exercise self-control during unwanted sexual encounters. This includes assessing the ability to resist pressure, articulate boundaries, and modify one’s own emotional or physiological state (such as arousal) to prevent activity from progressing beyond their comfort level.

The scale provides researchers and clinicians with a specific measure of skills related to managing sexual aggression and coercion, offering insights into how women actively cope with external pressure and internal factors that might otherwise lead to consenting to unwanted sex.

Construct

The FSRS measures a domain-specific manifestation of learned resourcefulness, a key concept derived from Rosenbaum’s (1990, 2000) model of self-control. Learned resourcefulness encompasses basic self-regulatory skills—such as applying problem-solving methods, using positive self-instructions, and delaying gratification—that are generally used to handle everyday challenges and negative emotions.

The FSRS focuses this general concept specifically on sexual situations. The scale structure incorporates the influence of process regulating cognitions (PRCs), most notably Sexual Self-Efficacy—the belief in one’s capability to successfully halt unwanted sexual advances. The construct captures the interplay between learned skills, cognitive beliefs, and situational variables (e.g., relationship status, arousal level) that either facilitate or impede the use of effective resourcefulness strategies.

Validity

The construct validity of the FSRS was established through correlations with several established and newly developed measures, demonstrating its theoretical alignment and ability to predict relevant outcomes.

• Convergent Validity: As expected, the FSRS demonstrated a significant positive correlation with the general measure of learned resourcefulness, the Self-Control Schedule (SCS) (Rosenbaum, 1980), with r(152) = .26, p = .001. It was also strongly and positively correlated with the Sexual Self-Efficacy scale (Kennett et al., 2009), r(152) = .59, p < .001, indicating that believing one can deal with unwanted advances is linked to actually using resourceful skills.

• Discriminant/Predictive Validity: The FSRS showed significant negative correlations with measures of sexual victimization. It correlated negatively with forced sex play (r(152) = −.48, p < .001) and attempted or completed forced intercourse (r(152) = −.41, p < .001) as measured by the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) (Koss & Oros, 1982). Furthermore, FSRS was negatively correlated with the Reasons for Consenting to Unwanted Sex Scale (RCUSS), r(152) = −.67, p < .001, and with the actual percentage of time women reported “giving in” to sexual experiences, r(152) = −.60, p < .001. These results confirm that higher sexual resourcefulness is associated with less involvement in forced and unwanted sexual situations.

• Demographic Independence: Consistent with the theoretical conceptualization of learned resourcefulness (Rosenbaum, 1990, 2000), FSRS scores were found to be unrelated to demographic variables such as age, relationship stage, or length of relationship, suggesting that these foundational skills remain relatively stable once reaching early adulthood.

Reliability

The reliability of the FSRS has been assessed through internal consistency (using Cronbach’s alpha) and test-retest methods across multiple undergraduate samples.

• Internal Consistency: Based on two independent female undergraduate datasets, the reliability (alpha) for the whole FSRS scale was found to be consistently high: .91 (N = 150; Kennett et al., 2009) and .91 (N = 152; Humphreys & Kennett, 2008).

• Test-Retest Reliability: The stability of the scale was measured over a 6-week interval in a sample of female students (N = 63). The resulting test-retest reliability coefficient was .78 (Humphreys & Kennett, 2008), indicating acceptable temporal stability for the construct.

Factor Analysis

Information regarding the specific factor structure of the Female Sexual Resourcefulness Scale (FSRS) was not detailed in the provided source materials. The scale appears to be utilized as a unidimensional measure of overall sexual resourcefulness based on the reporting of a single total score and overall reliability coefficients.

Instrument

Test Type:

Self-report psychological inventory (Likert-type scale)

Format:

19 items, 6-point rating scale. Available in paper-and-pencil or online survey modes.

Language Available:

English (as presented in published materials).

Population Group:

Women, specifically college/university students in initial validation studies.

Age Group:

Young adults (undergraduate population).

Population Details:

Initial validation studies utilized female undergraduate students from Trent University (N=150 and N=152).

Test Methodology:

Respondents rate statements on a 6-point scale ranging from 1 (Very Uncharacteristic of Me) to 6 (Very Characteristic of Me). The total score ranges from 19 to 114. Items 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, and 18 are reverse scored to account for negative phrasing related to giving in or avoiding confrontation.

Keywords

Self-regulation, Coping skills, Sexual assault prevention, Trent University, Psychological assessment, Self-Control Schedule, Reasons for Consenting to Unwanted Sex Scale, Sexual victimization.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier:

Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses:

[email protected] or [email protected]

Correspondence Address:

Terry P. Humphreys or Deborah J. Kennett, Psychology Department, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, K9J 7B8

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions:

Permission to use the FSRS must be obtained directly from either Terry P. Humphreys or Deborah J. Kennett.

Fee:

Information regarding usage fees is not specified in the source material.

Test Year:

Initial development and primary validation occurred between 2008 and 2009 (Humphreys & Kennett, 2008; Kennett, Humphreys & Patchell, 2009).

Reference’s

The FSRS is supported by research drawing on the following academic works:

• Chislett, G., & Kennett, D. J. (2007). The effects of the Nobody’s Perfect Program on parenting resourcefulness and competency. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 16, 473–482.

• Humphreys, T. P., & Kennett, D. J. (2008) [The reliability and validity of the Sexual Resourcefulness and Reasons for Consenting to Unwanted Sex Scales]. Unpublished raw data.

• Impett, E. A., & Peplau, L. A. (2002). Why some women consent to unwanted sex with a dating partner: Insights from attachment theory. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 26, 360–370.

• Kennett, D. J., Humphreys, T. P., & Patchell, M. (2009). The role of learned resourcefulness in helping female undergraduates deal with unwanted sexual activity. Sex Education, 9, 341–353.

• Kennett, D. J., Morris, E., & Bangs, A. (2006). Learned resourcefulness and smoking cessation revisited. Patient Education and Counseling, 60, 206–211.

• Kennett, D. J., & Nisbet, C. (1998). The influence of body mass index and learned resourcefulness skills on body image and lifestyle practices. Patient Education and Counseling, 33, 1–12.

• Koss, M. P., & Oros, C. J. (1982). Sexual experiences survey: A research instrument investigating sexual aggression and victimization. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 455–457.

• O’Sullivan, L. F., & Allgeier, E. R. (1998). Feigning sexual desire: Consenting to unwanted sexual activity in heterosexual dating relationships. The Journal of Sex Research, 35, 234–243.

• Rosenbaum, M. (1980). A schedule for assessing self-control behaviors: Preliminary findings. Behavior Therapy, 11, 109–121.

• Rosenbaum, M. (1990). The role of learned resourcefulness in the self- control of health behavior. In M. Rosenbaum (Ed.), Learned resource- fulness: On coping skills, self-control and adaptive behavior (pp. 4–25). New York: Springer.

• Rosenbaum, M. (2000). The self-regulation of experience: Openness and construction. In P. Dewe, A. M. Leiter, & T. Cox (Eds.), Coping, health and organizations (pp. 51–67). London: Taylor & Francis.

• Rosenbaum, M., & Cohen, E. (1999). Equalitarian marriages, spousal support, resourcefulness and psychological distress among Israeli working women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54, 102–113.

• Shotland, R. L., & Hunter, B. A. (1995). Women’s “token resistant” and compliant sexual behaviors are related to uncertain sexual intentions and rape. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 226–236.

• Zauszniewski, J. A., & Chung, C. W. (2001). Resourcefulness and health practices of diabetic women. Research in Nursing and Health, 21, 113–121.

Items of the Female Sexual Resourcefulness Scale

Instructions: This questionnaire is designed to find out how different people view their thinking and their behavior about unwanted sexual activities/advances.

Unwanted sexual advances/activities are defined as anything from an unwanted intimate hand on the shoulder to unwanted sexual intercourse. Other unwanted sexual advances/activity could include things such as verbal advances, touching, hugging, kissing, or dancing.

A statement may range from very uncharacteristic of you to very characteristic of you. Please answer every statement, and circle only one answer for each statement. Use the following scale to indicate whether a statement describes your thinking or behavior.

1 = Very Uncharacteristic of Me

2 = Rather Uncharacteristic of Me

3 = Somewhat Uncharacteristic of Me

4 = Somewhat Characteristic of Me‌

5 = Rather Characteristic of Me

6 = Very Characteristic of Me

1. When I am in the middle of sexual play and am aroused, but do not want the activity to progress any further, I am often able to change my aroused feelings so that I am able to prevent the activity from progressing.
2. I often give in to unwanted sexual activity.
3. When I feel upset while engaged in unwanted sexual activity, I try not to think about it.
4. When I am faced with unwanted sexual activity/advances, I have no difficulty leaving the situation.
5. While engaged in unwanted sexual activity, I think I’m making a mistake, but I’m at a loss to do anything about it.
6. I usually consent to unwanted sexual activity when my partner is pressuring me.
7. When I am experiencing unwanted sexual activity/advances, I prefer to not think about it and go along with the activity instead.
8. If I was in the middle of sexual play which I no longer wanted to continue, I could tell him to stop.
9. When I have become aroused from sexual play, but do not want to continue any further, I am able to resist engaging in the sexual activity by thinking about the good reasons for stopping.
10. Although I feel bad about hurting my partner’s feelings, I am able to let him know when I am uncomfortable with a sexual situation.‌
11. I feel good about myself when I resist unwanted sexual advances.
12. When experiencing unwanted sexual activity/advances, I often tell myself that I can do something about it.
13. When I am about to engage in unwanted sexual activity, I tell myself to stop and think before I do anything.
14. I consider my actions very carefully when deciding whether or not to participate in unwanted sexual activity.
15. I always have a back-up plan for when I am faced with unwanted sexual advances/activity that get out of control.
16. It takes a lot of effort on my part to bring unwanted sexual advances/activity to a halt.
17. When presented with unwanted sexual advances/activity, I base my decision on my arousal and how I feel in the moment, even if I know I will regret it later.
18. When engaging in unwanted sexual activity, I try to divert my thoughts from how uncomfortable I feel.
19. I plan in advance how far I want to go with any sexual activity, and am able to stop the activity before it goes too far.