Sex Anxiety Inventory

Abstract

The Sex Anxiety Inventory (SAI), developed by Louis H. Janda and Kenneth E. O’Grady, is a self-report psychological measure designed to quantify an individual’s level of anxiety concerning sexual matters. The scale defines sexual anxiety as a generalized expectation of nonspecific external punishment resulting from the violation, or anticipated violation, of perceived normative standards regarding acceptable sexual behavior. A primary goal during its development was to empirically distinguish this external-threat-based anxiety from sexual guilt, which is defined by Mosher (1965) as internalized, self-mediated punishment.

The SAI consists of 25 core items presented in a forced-choice format, where one alternative represents an anxiety response and the other represents a non-anxiety response. The scale was originally normed and validated using a college student population.

Keywords

Sexual Anxiety, Sexual Behavior, Sexual Guilt, Psychological Assessment, Forced-Choice Scale, College Students, Psychometrics.

Authors

Louis H. Janda, Kenneth E. O’Grady.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sex Anxiety Inventory (SAI) is the quantitative measurement of anxiety regarding sexual matters. The scale operationalizes anxiety related to perceived external threat or social sanction for engaging in or anticipating non-normative sexual behavior.

A significant developmental objective, as detailed by Janda and O’Grady (1980), was to establish a clear empirical distinction between sexual anxiety and sexual guilt. By focusing on the expectancy of external punishment, the SAI provides a measure distinct from internalized moral conflicts, which are characteristic of sexual guilt as defined by Mosher (1965).

Construct

The psychological construct measured by the SAI is Sexual Anxiety. This construct is narrowly defined as a generalized expectancy for nonspecific external punishment. This punishment is anticipated when an individual violates, or considers violating, perceived normative standards of acceptable sexual behavior.

This definition emphasizes the fear of external judgment, social consequences, or negative repercussions from others, thereby distinguishing it from measures of internalized moral conflict or self-punishment.

Validity

The validity of the Sex Anxiety Inventory has been supported primarily through demonstrations of concurrent validity, indicating its ability to correlate with relevant behavioral outcomes.

• Janda and O’Grady (1980) successfully used the SAI scores to predict self-reported sexual experiences among both men and women in their initial research, demonstrating that higher anxiety scores corresponded to more restricted sexual histories or behaviors.

• Further evidence was provided by Vanwesenbeeck (2001), who reported that women scoring high on sex anxiety were significantly less likely to watch Dutch sexually explicit television for leisure compared to low-anxious women, supporting the scale’s ability to capture behavioral inhibition related to sexual stimuli.

Reliability

Reliability analyses conducted by Janda and O’Grady (1980) indicate strong internal consistency and temporal stability for the scale.

• Internal Consistency: The internal consistency of the scale, calculated using the Kuder-Richardson formula (KR-20), was reported as 0.86, indicating high homogeneity among the 25 items.

• Test-Retest Reliability: Measured over a 10 to 14-day interval, the test-retest reliability coefficients were strong and consistent across genders: 0.85 for males and 0.84 for females, confirming stability over time.

Factor Analysis

While the original source does not report formal factor analysis (e.g., EFA or CFA), the item selection process was rigorous, focusing on ensuring construct purity, discriminant validity, and minimizing susceptibility to social desirability bias.

Items were included in the final 25-item version only if they met the following criteria:

1. The correlation between the item and the total SAI score was statistically significant at the .05 level (two-tailed).

2. The item-total correlation was higher than the correlation between that item and the score on the Sex Guilt subscale of the Mosher Forced-Choice Guilt Inventory, ensuring differentiation from sexual guilt.

3. The item-total correlation exceeded the correlation between the item and the score on the Crowne and Marlowe (1964) Social Desirability Scale, minimizing response bias.

4. There was no significant difference in item-total correlations observed between male and female respondents.

Only four of the 25 items demonstrated a significant correlation with social desirability (two positive, two negative), reinforcing the scale’s relative independence from the need for approval.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological inventory (Attitude/Personality Scale).

Format: 25 core items in a forced-choice format. The administered form includes an additional 15 filler items.

Language Available: English (Original development).

Population Group: General population, developed for use in research settings.

Age Group: Adults (specifically college-aged population).

Population Details: Developed and validated primarily using a college student population.

Test Methodology: Respondents circle the letter of the alternative that most accurately describes their feelings. The scale is brief, rarely requiring more than 15 minutes for completion. Scoring is objective: anxiety responses are scored as 1 point, resulting in a total score range of 0 to 25.

Keywords

Psychological measurement, Psychometrics, Sexual health, Anxiety assessment, Janda, O’Grady, Forced-choice.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Louis H. Janda, Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23508.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Sex Anxiety Inventory was developed and published in 1980 (Janda & O’Grady). A copy of the scale, complete with filler items, can be obtained at no cost directly from the author.

Reference’s

• Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. (1964). The approval motive: Studies in evaluative dependence. New York: Wiley.

• Janda, L. H., & O’Grady, K. E. (1980). Development of a sex anxiety inventory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48, 169–175.

• Mosher, D. L. (1965). Interaction of fear and guilt in inhibiting unacceptable behavior. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 29, 161–167.

• Vanwesenbeeck, I. (2001). Psychosexual correlates of viewing sexually explicit sex on television among women in the Netherlands. The Journal of Sex Research, 38, 361–368.

Items of the Sex Anxiety Inventory

1. Extramarital sex . . .

   1. is OK if everyone agrees.

   2. can break up families.

2. Sex . . .

   1. can cause as much anxiety as pleasure.

   2. on the whole is good and enjoyable.

3. Masturbation . . .

   1. causes me to worry.

   2. can be a useful substitute.

4. After having sexual thoughts . . .

   1. I feel aroused.

   2. I feel jittery.

5. When I engage in petting . . .

   1. I feel scared at first.

   2. I thoroughly enjoy it.

6. Initiating sexual relationships . . .

   1. is a very stressful experience.

   2. causes me no problem at all.

7. Oral sex . . .

   1. would arouse me.

   2. would terrify me.

8. I feel nervous . . .

   1. about initiating sexual relations.

   2. about nothing when it comes to members of the opposite sex.

9. When I meet someone I’m attracted to . . .

   1. I get to know him or her.

   2. I feel nervous.

10. When I was younger . . .

    1. I was looking forward to having sex.

    2. I felt nervous about the prospect of having sex.

11. When others flirt with me . . .

    1. I don’t know what to do.

    2. I flirt back.

12. Group sex . . .

    1. would scare me to death.

    2. might be interesting.

13. If in the future I committed adultery . . .

    1. I would probably get caught.

    2. I wouldn’t feel bad about it.

14. I would . . .

    1. feel too nervous to tell a dirty joke in mixed company.

    2. tell a dirty joke if it were funny.

15. Dirty jokes . . .

    1. make me feel uncomfortable.

    2. often make me laugh.

16. When I awake from sexual dreams . . .

    1. I feel pleasant and relaxed.

    2. I feel tense.

17. When I have sexual desires . . .

    1. I worry about what I should do.

    2. I do something to satisfy them.

18. If in the future I committed adultery . . .

    1. it would be nobody’s business but my own.

    2. I would worry about my spouse finding out.

19. Buying a pornographic book . . .

    1. wouldn’t bother me.

    2. would make me nervous.

20. Casual sex . . .

    1. is better than no sex at all.

    2. can hurt many people.

21. Extramarital sex . . .

    1. is sometimes necessary.

    2. can damage one’s career.

22. Sexual advances . . .

    1. leave me feeling tense.

    2. are welcomed.

23. When I have sexual relations . . .

    1. I feel satisfied.

    2. I worry about being discovered.

24. When talking about sex in mixed company . . .

    1. I feel nervous.

    2. I sometimes get excited.

25. If I were to flirt with someone . . .

    1. I would worry about his or her reaction.

    2. I would enjoy it.