Sexual Attitude Scale

Abstract

The Sexual Attitude Scale (SAS) is a concise, 25-item psychometric instrument designed to quantify an individual’s orientation towards human sexual expression, differentiating primarily between liberal and conservative attitudes. Utilizing a category partition (Likert-type) response format, the scale yields total scores ranging from 0 to 100. Lower scores indicate a more liberal perspective on sexuality, while higher scores reflect a more conservative viewpoint. A score of 50 acts as the cutting score, separating the two major orientations. The SAS is a self-report measure typically completed in 5 to 7 minutes and is validated for use with all English-speaking populations aged 12 and older.

The instrument features two negatively worded items intended to mitigate the influence of response set bias. Readability statistics indicate that the scale is highly accessible, with a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of 7.

Keywords

Sexual Attitude Scale, SAS, Sexual expression, Conservative attitudes, Liberal attitudes, Psychometric scale, Attitude measurement, Sexual behavior.

Authors

Walter W. Hudson, Gerald J. Murphy, P. S. Nurius (contributor to validation).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SAS is to provide a rapid, quantitative assessment of an individual’s stance on various aspects of human sexuality. It specifically aims to map attitudes along a continuum defined by conservative (restrictive) and liberal (permissive) orientations regarding sexual behavior and freedom.

The scale is designed for use by qualified professional practitioners, researchers, and scholars in clinical and academic settings. It serves as a powerful device for identifying both minor and serious attitudinal problems related to personal and social functioning, but requires professional training for proper administration and interpretation.

Construct

The SAS measures the unidimensional construct of generalized attitudes toward human sexual expression. This construct encompasses beliefs about sexual freedom, appropriate contexts for sexual activity, views on non-normative sexual behaviors (e.g., homosexuality, masturbation), and perspectives on the role of sex in media and education.

The scoring mechanism operationalizes this construct along a single scale ranging from 0 (most liberal position) to 100 (most conservative position). The items are structured to capture a broad range of opinions regarding social norms, morality, and personal sexual conduct.

Validity

Validity evidence for the SAS primarily focuses on its ability to distinguish accurately between known criterion groups. The known-groups validity coefficient was reported as 0.73, calculated using the point-biserial correlation between individuals belonging to established liberal versus conservative groups and their respective SAS scores. This high coefficient suggests strong differentiation capability.

Detailed information regarding content validity (item relevance), factorial validity (underlying structure), and construct validity (theoretical fit) are reported comprehensively in the WALMYR Assessment Scale Scoring Manual, which is available directly from the publisher.

Reliability

Internal consistency of the SAS is demonstrated by a very high Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, reported at 0.94. This figure indicates excellent reliability and homogeneity among the 25 scale items.

The Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) is reported as 4.20, which provides an estimate of the precision of individual scores. It is noted that test-retest reliability, which measures the stability of the scores over repeated administrations, was not available in the initial documentation.

Factor Analysis

The scale is designed as a short-form instrument measuring a single, overarching dimension of sexual attitudes (liberal-conservative continuum). Specific details regarding the results of the factor analysis are not included in the summary data provided.

However, the developers confirm that comprehensive information concerning the scale’s underlying factorial structure and other aspects of its psychometric properties are thoroughly documented within the WALMYR Assessment Scale Scoring Manual.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire; Standardized Psychometric Scale.

Format: 25 category partition (Likert type) items, scored on a 5-point relative frequency scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).

Language Available: English.

Population Group: General population, clinical, and research samples.

Age Group: 12 or older.

Population Details: All English speaking populations.

Test Methodology: The SAS is a self-administered scale completed quickly, typically requiring 5–7 minutes. Scoring involves complex calculations to normalize the results to a 0–100 range. Specifically, items 21 and 22 must be reverse-scored. The total score formula accommodates missing values, provided the respondent completes at least 80% of the items, effectively replacing omitted responses with the mean item response value.

Keywords

Sexuality, Attitude scale, Likert scale, Psychometrics, Sexual freedom, Response set bias, WALMYR, Social work assessment, Sexual orientation.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided.

Correspondence Address: WALMYR Publishing Co. (Publisher).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Sexual Attitude Scale was initially published with foundational research in 1983. The scale is commercially available through WALMYR Publishing Co.

Use of the SAS is restricted to competent professionals, researchers, scholars, and those engaged in supervised study and training. The developers explicitly state that the measurement tools are not intended for use by untrained individuals, emphasizing that proper interpretation requires professional expertise to handle potentially serious personal and social problems revealed by the scores.

Reference’s

• Hudson, W. W., Murphy, G. J., & Nurius, P. S. (1983). A short-form scale to measure liberal vs. conservative orientations toward human sexual expression. The Journal of Sex Research, 19, 258–272.

• Nurius, P. S., & Hudson, W. W. (1993). Human services practice, evaluation & computers. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Walter W. Hudson, 1934–1999.

Items of the Sexual Attitude Scale

The following is the standard 5-point Likert response key used for the scale:

• 1 = Strongly disagree

• 2 = Disagree

• 3 = Neither agree nor disagree

• 4 = Agree

• 5 = Strongly agree

1. I think there is too much sexual freedom given to adults these days.

2. I think that increased sexual freedom undermines the American family.

3. I think that young people have been given too much information about sex.

4. Sex education should be restricted to the home.

5. Older people do not need to have sex.

6. Sex education should be given only when people are ready for marriage.

7. Pre-marital sex may be a sign of a decaying social order.

8. Extra-marital sex is never excusable.

9. I think there is too much sexual freedom given to teenagers these days.

10. I think there is not enough sexual restraint among young people.

11. I think people indulge in sex too much.

12. I think the only proper way to have sex is through intercourse.

13. I think sex should be reserved for marriage.

14. Sex should be only for the young.

15. Too much social approval has been given to homosexuals.

16. Sex should be devoted to the business of procreation.

17. People should not masturbate.

18. Heavy sexual petting should be discouraged.

19. People should not discuss their sexual affairs or business with others.

20. Severely handicapped (physically and mentally) people should not have sex.

21. There should be no laws prohibiting sexual acts between consenting adults.

22. What two consenting adults do together sexually is their own business.

23. There is too much sex on television.

24. Movies today are too sexually explicit.

25. Pornography should be totally banned from our bookstores.

Note: Items 21 and 22 are reverse scored during calculation.