Sexual Activity Questionnaire

Abstract

The Sexual Activity Questionnaire (SAQ) is a specialized self-monitoring measure designed to assess the micro-level processes involved in sexual interactions within established relationships. Participants utilize the SAQ, typically over a one-week period, to document the frequency and specific behavioral steps leading up to and occurring during sexual activity. Key information recorded daily includes whether sexual activity was initiated, who the initiator was (man or woman), and the noninitiator’s immediate first response (interest or disinterest). The SAQ also captures detailed information regarding the verbal and nonverbal behaviors employed during initiation and response, the context (location and activity), and, in cases of initial disinterest, the reasons for disagreement and subsequent resolution. The instrument is applicable for use with married, cohabiting, and dating partners, and can be easily adapted for same-sex couples.

Keywords

Sexual initiation, sexual response, dyadic processes, self-monitoring, sexual satisfaction, relationship dynamics, cohabiting couples, dating interactions.

Authors

E. Sandra Byers, L. Heinlein, R. Eno, L. F. O’Sullivan

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sexual Activity Questionnaire (SAQ) is to provide a detailed, prospective assessment of the sequential behaviors that precede and constitute sexual interactions in committed or dating relationships. It moves beyond simple frequency counts of sexual intercourse to systematically analyze the dyadic processes of initiation and response, which are crucial for understanding relationship satisfaction and sexual functioning.

The instrument is specifically designed to capture the specific verbal and nonverbal cues used by the initiator to demonstrate desire, as well as the immediate and subsequent responses of the partner. This granular data allows researchers to study how couples negotiate sexual encounters, resolve disagreements regarding sexual timing or type, and evaluate their satisfaction with both the initiation process and the resulting sexual interaction.

Construct

The SAQ measures the construct of sexual activity dynamics, focusing on the behavioral components of sexual initiation and response within a relationship context. The term “sexual activity” is broadly defined to encompass all activities that subjects experience as sexual, ranging from holding hands and kissing to sexual intercourse. The scale captures several sub-constructs:

• Initiation Frequency and Source: Who (man or woman) initiates sexual activity and how often.
• Response Valence: The noninitiator’s initial reaction (interest or disinterest).
• Behavioral Cues: Detailed verbal and nonverbal methods used during initiation and response.
• Conflict Resolution: Dynamics and satisfaction related to resolving initial sexual disinterest.
• Sexual Enjoyment and Satisfaction: Subjective ratings of the resulting sexual interaction and the initiation process itself.

Validity

Support for the validity of certain aspects of the SAQ has been documented through correlations with established relationship metrics. Byers and Heinlein (1989) reported that individuals who were younger, newer to their relationships, and reported greater marital and sexual satisfaction generally reported a higher frequency of sexual initiations.

Furthermore, when controlling for the number of initiations, increased negative responses were linked to lower reported sexual pleasure, reduced sexual satisfaction, and diminished dyadic adjustment for both men and women. The SAQ’s daily self-monitoring method also demonstrated convergent validity, as Eno (1994) found significant positive correlations (M = .71) between retrospective measures of initiation frequency and positive responses, and the corresponding self-monitoring measures collected during the study week. O’Sullivan and Byers (1992) further supported the validity in dating populations, showing that participants dating more frequently or in steady relationships reported more sexual initiations.

Reliability

The SAQ demonstrates good reliability across different relationship types. For the open-ended, descriptive questions, Byers and Heinlein (1989) established a mean interrater agreement of .86, suggesting consistency in coding qualitative data. Participants generally expressed high confidence in the accuracy of their responses (M = 5.5 on a 6-point scale).

Further reliability data was provided by Eno (1994), who examined agreement between spouses across 36 couples, finding average agreement scores of .75 for initiations and a robust .90 for responses to initiations. Studies involving dating couples also confirmed the scale’s reliability, with O’Sullivan and Byers (1992) reporting an average interrater agreement of .87 and an average confidence rating of 5.2, indicating the measure performs well across various relationship contexts.

Factor Analysis

As the Sexual Activity Questionnaire (SAQ) is primarily a structured, behavioral self-monitoring tool used for recording daily dyadic events and specific observed behaviors, traditional psychometric factor analysis of scale items (used to establish latent constructs) is not directly applicable to the instrument’s daily tracking components. The instrument uses coding categories (e.g., verbal vs. nonverbal initiation, types of refusal) rather than summative scales for its primary data points. The 22-item checklist of initiation behaviors is categorized into five predetermined behavioral types for analysis: direct verbal initiation, ambiguous verbal cues, physical contact, sexual cues, and suggestive movements and actions.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Monitoring Behavioral Diary / Self-Report Questionnaire

Format: Structured daily diary completed over one week, followed by detailed descriptive sections for specific initiation events (Part II for disinterested response, Part III for interested response). Uses checklists, open-ended responses, and 6-point Likert-type satisfaction scales.

Language Available: English (Original development).

Population Group: Heterosexual couples (married, cohabiting, and dating). Adaptable for same-sex couples.

Age Group: Adults (including college students for dating version).

Population Details: Used with samples of married/cohabiting partners (Byers & Heinlein, 1989) and college student dating partners (O’Sullivan & Byers, 1992).

Test Methodology: Participants complete Part I daily, recording initiation events, initiators, and initial responses. They then complete detailed reports (Part II/Part III) immediately after the first instance of a negative response and the first instance of a positive response that week. Completion time is approximately 10 minutes per day/report.

Keywords

Sexual behavior assessment, relationship measurement, communication in relationships, sexual negotiation, initiation behaviors, sexual communication, self-report measures.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: E. Sandra Byers, Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada E3B 6E4

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: Initial research published in 1989 (Byers & Heinlein).

Permissions and Fees: Information not provided in source material. Contact the corresponding author (E. Sandra Byers) for current usage permissions and licensing fees.

References

• Byers, E. S., & Heinlein, L. (1989). Predicting initiations and refusals of sexual activity in married and cohabiting heterosexual couples. The Journal of Sex Research, 26, 210–231.
• Eno, R. (1994). Factors related to sexual initiations and responses to initiations within long-term heterosexual relationships. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton.
• O’Sullivan, L. F., & Byers, E. S. (1992). College students’ incorporation of initiator and restrictor roles in sexual dating interactions. The Journal of Sex Research, 29, 435–446.

Items of the Sexual Activity Questionnaire

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

Sexual Activity Questionnaire (Married/Cohabiting Version)

Instructions: We are interested in learning more about how couples initiate sexual activities, and how their partners respond to these initiations. By initiation of sexual activities, we mean any word and/or action that one person uses to indicate his or her interest in engaging in sexual activities, at a point in time when the couple is not engaging in any sexual activities. Notice that we are interested in initiations, whether or not any sexual activity results from the initiation. For example, one person may initiate sexual interactions by complimenting his or her partner on his or her looks or using a code phrase that the partner knows indicates sexual interest. Other examples of initiations would be if one person moved closer to their partner or if one person loosened or removed some of his or her own or the partner’s clothing. We are interested in the initiation of all levels of sexual activity from kissing (if you consider it a sexual activity and not an expression of affection) to intercourse.

Please complete the attached questionnaire on a daily basis for one week. It is divided into 3 parts.

Part I. Part I of the questionnaire asks you to indicate, for each day of that particular week, whether either you or your partner initiated sexual activity. You are also asked to indicate for each “initiation” who initiated the sexual activity, and whether the noninitiator’s first response was interest or disinterest in sex. By first response we mean the first thing he or she said or did in response to the initiation. In some cases, the noninitiator’s first response might not be the same as their response a few seconds or minutes later. If sexual activity was not initiated by either partner on that day, please indicate whether you considered initiating and your reasons for not doing so. Further instructions for filling out this part of the questionnaire are on the questionnaire itself.

Part II. Fill in Part II of the questionnaire (the blue sheets) for the first occasion (if any) in that week on which sex was initiated, and the noninitiator’s first response was that he or she was not interested. If no such initiation occurred in your relationship that week, leave this part of the questionnaire blank.

Part III. Fill in Part III of the questionnaire (the yellow sheets) for the first occasion (if any) in that week on which sex was initiated, and the noninitiator’s first response was that he or she was interested in sex—that is, when both partners were interested from the outset. If no such initiation occurred that week, leave this part of the questionnaire blank.

Since it is easy to forget the specifics of any particular communication or interaction, it is important that you complete Parts II and III of the questionnaire as soon as possible after the initiation occurs. Try to be as accurate as possible in completing the questionnaire.

Definitions:

Sexual Activity: Any activity of a sexual (as opposed to purely affectionate) nature. Thus, this can include anything from kissing and touching to sexual intercourse. “SEX” is not necessarily intercourse.

Initiation: Any communication (verbal or nonverbal) of a “desire” to participate in sexual activity. Sexual activity may or may not follow.

Sexual Initiation Questionnaire

Part I. For each day of the week, please indicate the following (see Instruction Sheet for definitions):

1. Whether sexual activity was initiated.

2. If sexual activity was initiated, indicate whether it was initiated by you or by your partner (male or female). Then indicate what the first response was of the noninitiator. That is, if sex was initiated by you, indicate what your partner’s first response was; if sex was initiated by your partner, indicate what your first response was.

3. If neither you nor your partner initiated sex on that day, indicate if you considered initiating sex but did not do so. If you did change your mind, indicate the reasons for doing so. If sex initiated If sex not initiated

The following table represents the daily tracking format:

The first of these days on which either you or your partner initiated sex and found that the noninitiator was initially not interested was (write in day of the week). Please fill in Part II of the questionnaire on the blue paper for this occasion.

The first of these days on which either you or your partner initiated sex and found that the noninitiator was initially interested (write in day of the week). Please fill in Part III of the questionnaire on the yellow paper for this occasion.

Part II. Complete Questions 1–14 (blue paper) if either you or your partner initiated sexual activity and the first response of the non- initiator was that he or she was not interested.

• At the time of the initiation, where were you and your partner (e.g., in the kitchen of our home)?
• Briefly describe the main thing(s) you and your partner were doing prior to the initiation (e.g. reading, talking).
• The noninitiator indicated a desire for sexual activity by saying: doing:
• The noninitiator responded to the initiator’s initial advances by: saying: doing:
• The initiator then responded to this reaction by: saying: doing:
• How long did the disagreement continue? minutes
• How was the disagreement resolved?
• (a) How satisfied are you with how sexual activity was initiated?

very satisfied

satisfied

neutral

dissatisfied

very satisfied

(b) Why?

• (a) Overall, how satisfied are you with how the disagreement was resolved?

very satisfied

satisfied

neutral

dissatisfied

very dissatisfied

b) Why?

• What behaviors did the initiator use to demonstrate a desire for sexual activities? (Check all that apply.)

asked directly

used some code words

with which the man was

familiar

used pet names

used more eye contact

removed or loosened clothing played with man’s hair lay down changed tone of voice made indirect talk of sex set mood atmosphere

touched her date (music, lighting, etc.)

massaged or stroked played games or light

snuggled or cuddled “rough-housing”

kissed date

shared a drink

moved closer

talked about the relationship

used “suggestive” body movements or postures

made compliments used some force allowed hand to wander looked at sexual material others:

• If you did engage in sexual activities at that time,

1. Why did the person who was initially not interested decide to have sex?
2. Which behaviors did you and your partner engage in at that time (check all that apply)?

   hugging, cuddling

   kissing

   necking

   fondling or kissing breast

   fondling woman’s genitals

   fondling man’s genitals

   oral-genital stimulation

   coitus

   other (please specify)

3. About how long did you and your partner spend in sexual activity at that time? minutes

4. How enjoyable was this occasion of love-making for you?

   extremely unpleasant

   moderately unpleasant

   slightly unpleasant

   slightly pleasant

   moderately pleasant

   extremely pleasant

5. How enjoyable do you think this occasion of love-making was for your partner?

   extremely unpleasant

   moderately unpleasant

   slightly unpleasant

   slightly pleasant

   moderately pleasant

   extremely pleasant

• If you did not engage in sexual activity at that time,

1. was sex initiated again later that day? yes no
2. If yes, by whom? the man the woman mutual consent

• If there is any additional information that would help us to understand the situation that you described above, please provide it.
• How confident are you that your responses are accurate?very unsure

  moderately unsure

  slightly unsure

  slightly sure

  moderately sure

  very sure

Part III. Complete Questions 15–25 (yellow paper) if either you or your partner initiated sexual activity and the first response of the noninitiator was that he or she was interested.

• At the time of the initiation, where were you and your partner (e.g., in the kitchen of our home)?
• Briefly describe the main thing(s) you and your partner were doing prior to the initiation (e.g. reading, talking).
• The initiator indicated a desire for sexual activity by: saying: doing:
• The noninitiator responded to the initiator’s initial advances by: saying: doing:
• (a) How satisfied are you with how sexual activity was initiated?

  very satisfied

  satisfied

  neutral

  dissatisfied

  very dissatisfied

  (b) Why?

• What behaviors did the initiator use to demonstrate a desire for sexual activities? (Check all that apply.)

  asked directly

  used some code words

  with which the man was

  familiar

  used pet names

  used more eye contact

removed or loosened clothing played with man’s hair lay down changed tone of voice made indirect talk of sex set mood atmosphere

touched her date (music, lighting, etc.)

massaged or stroked played games or light

snuggled or cuddled “rough-housing”

kissed date

shared a drink

moved closer

talked about the relationship

used “suggestive” body movements or postures

made compliments used some force allowed hand to wander

looked at sexual material

others:

• Did you and your partner engage in sexual activity at that time?

yes no

• If you did have sex at that time,

1. which sexual behaviors did you and your partner engage in (check all that apply)?

   hugging, cuddling

   kissing

   necking

   fondling or kissing breast

   fondling woman’s genitals

   fondling man’s genitals

   oral-genital stimulation

   coitus

   others (please specify)

2. About how long did you and your partner spend in sexual activity at that time ……………….. minutes
3. How enjoyable was this occasion of love-making for you?

   extremely unpleasant

   moderately unpleasant

   slightly unpleasant

   slightly pleasant

   moderately pleasant

   extremely pleasant

4. How enjoyable do you think this occasion of love-making was for your partner?

   extremely unpleasant

   moderately unpleasant

   slightly unpleasant

   slightly pleasant

   moderately pleasant

   extremely pleasant

• If you did not engage in sexual activity at that time,

1. was sex initiated again later that day? yes no
2. If yes, by whom? the man the woman mutual consent

• If there is any additional information that would help us to understand the situation that you described above, please provide it.
• How confident are you that your responses are accurate?

  very unsure

  moderately unsure

  slightly unsure

  slightly sure

  moderately sure

  very sure