Sexual Cognitions Checklist

Abstract

The Sexual Cognitions Checklist (SCC) is a 56-item psychometric instrument developed by Cheryl A. Renaud and Sandra Byers to comprehensively assess the frequency and subjective experience of sexual cognitions, explicitly distinguishing between those experienced as positive and those experienced as negative (Renaud, 1999). Traditional measures of sexual fantasy often assume these thoughts are pleasant and deliberate; however, the SCC addresses the reality that many individuals experience negative sexual thoughts that are ego-dystonic, unwanted, and personally unacceptable.

The scale items were compiled from two major sources: 40 items adapted from the Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire (WSFQ; Wilson, 1988) and 16 items derived from the Revised Obsessional Intrusions Inventory—Sex Version (ROII–v2; Byers et al., 1998). The wording was adapted so that each cognition could be rated for both positive and negative valence. The SCC is appropriate for men and women of any age and sexual orientation and includes subscales that measure themes of sexual dominance and sexual submission.

Keywords

Sexual Cognitions Checklist, SCC, Sexual Cognitions, Sexual Fantasy, Positive Sexual Thoughts, Negative Sexual Thoughts, Sexual Dominance, Sexual Submission, Psychometrics, Sexual adjustment.

Authors

Cheryl A. Renaud (Federal Medical Center Devens), Sandra Byers (University of New Brunswick).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sexual Cognitions Checklist (SCC) is to accurately measure the full spectrum of an individual’s sexual thought life, moving beyond the traditional focus on only pleasurable sexual fantasies. It was specifically designed to differentiate between sexual cognitions experienced as positive (acceptable, pleasant, and expected) and those experienced as negative (highly unacceptable, upsetting, and repugnant).

By assessing both positive sexual cognitions (POSCOG) and negative sexual cognitions (NEGCOG) for the same set of content, the SCC provides a unique tool for understanding how the affective valence of sexual thoughts influences subjective experience, potential distress, and overall sexual functioning and sexual adjustment.

Construct

The SCC measures the construct of sexual cognitions, encompassing both deliberate, purposeful thoughts and nonpurposeful, intrusive thoughts. The measure is built upon the premise that sexual thoughts can be categorized based on their subjective experience and resulting affect, rather than solely their content.

• Positive Sexual Cognitions: These are defined as thoughts that are experienced as acceptable and pleasant, aligning with the individual’s expectations, and which may or may not lead to sexual arousal.

• Negative Sexual Cognitions: These are thoughts experienced as highly upsetting, unpleasant, and unacceptable (ego-dystonic), regardless of whether they result in sexual arousal.

The SCC further delineates two key thematic sub-constructs: sexual dominance and sexual submission, allowing for analysis of how these power dynamics are internalized and experienced positively or negatively.

Validity

The validity of the SCC has been supported through several studies demonstrating its ability to differentiate between positive and negative cognitive experiences and their associations with behavior and adjustment.

• Content Differentiation: Renaud and Byers (1999) established that POSCOG focused on themes of romance and intimacy, while NEGCOG centered on themes such as anonymous sex and sexual embarrassment, confirming that the two scales capture distinct psychological experiences.

• Predictive Validity: Positive cognitions were found to be associated with positive affect, less negative affect, higher subjective sexual arousal, and better sexual adjustment, including greater sexual satisfaction and masturbation experience (Renaud & Byers, 2001). Furthermore, positive sexual cognitions tended to be more deliberate and easier to control than negative cognitions.

• Subscale Validity: The dominance and submission subscales demonstrated strong criterion validity regarding sexual violence. Positive sexual dominance cognitions were uniquely linked to self-reported use of sexual coercion (Renaud & Byers, 2005). Conversely, a greater frequency of positive sexual submission cognitions was uniquely associated with a history of child sexual abuse (Renaud & Byers, 2006), consistent with prior research findings.

Reliability

The SCC has demonstrated high levels of internal consistency across both the primary total scores and the specialized subscales for both genders.

• Total Cognitions Scores (Renaud & Byers, 1999):

  • Positive Sexual Cognitions (POSCOG): $alpha$ = .95 (Men) and $alpha$ = .95 (Women).

  • Negative Sexual Cognitions (NEGCOG): $alpha$ = .96 (Men) and $alpha$ = .95 (Women).

• Thematic Subscales (Renaud & Byers, 2005, 2006): The subscales exhibited acceptable internal consistencies:

  • Positive Sexual Dominance (POSDOM): $alpha$ = .76 (Men) and $alpha$ = .71 (Women).

  • Negative Sexual Dominance (NEGDOM): $alpha$ = .84 (Men) and $alpha$ = .66 (Women).

  • Positive Sexual Submission (POSSUB): $alpha$ = .81 (Men) and $alpha$ = .80 (Women).

  • Negative Sexual Submission (NEGSUB): $alpha$ = .82 (Women), with men’s scores also being acceptable.

Factor Analysis

The subscales within the SCC were developed through an expert consensus method rather than a statistical factor analysis. Six doctoral students specializing in human sexuality independently reviewed the 56 items to determine their thematic content.

Based on this expert rating, two nonoverlapping subscales were established:

• Sexual Dominance Subscale (6 items): Items 11, 22, 27, 30, 39, and 48 were judged to reflect dominance themes exclusively.

• Sexual Submission Subscale (10 items): Items 5, 6, 10, 19, 20, 23, 26, 31, 34, and 47 were judged to reflect submission themes exclusively.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report checklist/Psychological inventory

Format: Paper-and-pencil questionnaire, consisting of 56 items, administered individually or in a group setting.

Language Available: English (Original development language)

Population Group: General adult population, including undergraduate students and clinical samples.

Age Group: Appropriate for men and women of any age.

Population Details: Suitable for individuals of any sexual orientation.

Test Methodology: The SCC takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Respondents are provided with explicit definitions of positive and negative sexual cognitions before rating each of the 56 items separately on a 7-point frequency scale (0 = I have never had this thought, 6 = I have this thought frequently during the day) for both its positive and negative valence.

Keywords

POSCOG, NEGCOG, WSFQ, ROII–v2, Sexual Dominance Subscale, Sexual Submission Subscale, Sexual coercion, Internal consistency, Sexual Cognitions.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (Sandra Byers)

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

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1999 (Initial development in doctoral dissertation).

Permissions and Fee: Information regarding current licensing or usage fees is not specified in the source material. Researchers should contact the corresponding author, Sandra Byers, for permission to use the scale.

Reference’s

The following academic references support the development and validation of the Sexual Cognitions Checklist:

• Alfonso, V. C., Allison, D. B., & Dunn, G. M. (1992). Sexual fantasy and satisfaction: A multidimensional analysis of gender differences. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 5(3), 19–37.

• Briere, J., Smiljanich, K., & Henschel, D. (1994). Sexual fantasies, gender, and molestation history. Child Abuse and Neglect, 18, 131–137.

• Byers, E. S., Purdon, C., & Clark, D. A. (1998). Sexual intrusive thoughts of college students. The Journal of Sex Research, 35, 359–369.

• Gold, S. R., & Clegg, C. L. (1990). Sexual fantasies of college students with coercive experiences and coercive attitudes. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 5, 464–473.

• Leitenberg, H., & Henning, K. (1995). Sexual fantasy. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 469–496.

• Renaud, C.A. (1999). Differentiating between positive and negative sexual cognitions. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton.

• Renaud, C. A., & Byers, E. S. (1999). Exploring the frequency, diversity, and content of university students’ positive and negative sexual cognitions. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 8, 17–30.

• Renaud, C. A., & Byers, E. S. (2001). Positive and negative sexual cognitions: Subjective experience and relationships to sexual adjustment. The Journal of Sex Research, 38, 252–262.

• Renaud, C.A., & Byers, E. S., (2005). Relationship between sexual violence and positive and negative cognitions of sexual dominance. Sex Roles, 53, 253–260.

• Renaud, C. A., & Byers, E. S. (2006). Positive and negative cognitions of sexual submission: Relationship to sexual violence. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35, 483–490.

• Wilson, G. D. (1988). Male-female differences in sexual activity, enjoyment, and fantasies. Personality and Individual Differences, 8, 125–127.

Items of the Sexual Cognitions Checklist

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

We all have thoughts about sex from time to time. Sexual thoughts can be divided into different types:

Positive Sexual Thoughts. Sometimes we experience our sexual thoughts as positive. Positive sexual thoughts may include thoughts that we purposely engage in to enhance our sexual feelings or sexual arousal. Positive sexual thoughts may also include thoughts that pop into our heads out of the blue. Whether we purposely engage in positive sexual thoughts, or they pop into our minds out of the blue, positive sexual thoughts are thoughts that we find acceptable and pleasant. They are the types of thoughts that we would expect to have. We can have positive sexual thoughts while we are engaging in masturbation, while we are engaged in sexual activity with a partner, and while we are involved in non-sexual activities.

Negative Sexual Thoughts. Sometimes, we have sexual thoughts that we experience as negative. Negative sexual thoughts are thoughts that we dislike having. They are the types of thoughts that we would not expect to have because they are uncharacteristic of our usual thoughts and habits. That is, negative sexual thoughts are thoughts of things we would never want to do or say. Therefore, negative sexual thoughts are highly unacceptable, upsetting, and unpleasant. We tend to find these thoughts disgusting and we wonder why we are having such repugnant thoughts. However, because they are sexual in content, we may experience sexual arousal to these thoughts even though we find them unacceptable, unpleasant, and upsetting. Like positive sexual thoughts, we can have negative sexual thoughts while we are engaging in masturbation, while we are engaged in sexual activity with a partner, and while we are involved in non-sexual activities.

Sometimes Positive and Sometimes Negative Sexual Thoughts. Although some thoughts are clearly positive or clearly negative for us, there are some sexual thoughts that we experience as positive at times and as negative at other times. For example, you may have had a thought about seeing your neighbor undress. If that thought was about the good-looking neighbor in apartment “B,” the thought might be positive. That is, it might be the type of thought you would expect to have and it is acceptable and pleasant. On the other hand, if you thought about the neighbor in apartment “A,” who you find disgusting, the thought might be negative. In this case, the thought is unacceptable, unpleasant, and not the type of thought you would expect to have. So, in this case, the same thought, “Seeing your neighbor undress,” is sometimes positive and sometimes negative. Other factors, such as your mood or what you are doing when you have a sexual thought, may also make a certain thought sometimes positive and sometimes negative.

INSTRUCTIONS: The questionnaire on the following few pages deals with a variety of very common sexual thoughts. On this questionnaire, we would like you to indicate how often you have had each of the listed sexual thoughts when it was a positive sexual thought, and when it was a negative sexual thought using the following scale:

1. I have never had this thought

2. I have had this thought only once or twice ever

3. I have had this thought a few times a year

4. I have had this thought once or twice a month

5. I have had this thought once or twice a week

6. I have had this thought daily

7. I have had this thought frequently during the day

   Example:

   Watching my neighbor undress.

   How often have you had this thought when it was positive? 0 1 2 3 5 6

   How often have you had this thought when it was negative? 0 1 2 3 5 6

   This example shows that I have had this thought a few times a year (I circled “2”) when it was positive (pleasant and acceptable) and that I have had this thought once or twice a week (I circled “4”) when it was negative.

   Please indicate how often you have had each of the following sexual thoughts.

In the past year, I have had sexual thoughts of:

1. Making love out of doors in a romantic setting (e.g. field of flowers; beach at night).

2. Having intercourse with a loved partner.

3. Having intercourse with someone I know but have not had sex with.

4. Having sex with an anonymous stranger.

5. Engaging in a sexual act with someone who has authority over me.

6. Being pressured into engaging in sex.

7. Engaging in a sexual act with someone who is “taboo” (family member, religious figure).

8. Having sex with two other people at the same time.

9. Participating in an orgy.

10. Being forced to do something sexually.

11. Forcing someone to do something sexually.

12. Engaging in sexual activity contrary to my sexual orientation (e.g. homosexual or heterosexual).

13. Throwing my arms around and kissing an authority figure.

14. Lifting my skirt or dropping my pants, thereby indecently exposing myself in public.

15. Receiving oral sex.

16. Giving oral sex.

17. Watching others have sex.

18. Having sex with an animal or non-human object.

19. Being overwhelmed by a stranger’s sexual advances.

20. Being sexually victimized.

21. Receiving or giving genital stimulation.

22. Whipping or spanking someone.

23. Being whipped or spanked.

24. Taking someone’s clothes off.

25. Having my clothes taken off.

26. Engaging in a sexual act which I would not want to do because it violates my religious principles.

27. Forcing another adult to engage in a sexual act with me.

28. Making love elsewhere than the bedroom (e.g. kitchen or bathroom).

29. Being excited by material or clothing (e.g. rubber, leather, underwear).

30. Hurting a partner.

31. Being hurt by a partner.

32. Partner-swapping.

33. Being aroused by watching someone urinate.

34. Being tied up.

35. Masturbating in a public place.

36. Authority figures (minister, boss) being naked.

37. People I come in contact with being naked.

38. Having sex in a public place.

39. Tying someone up.

40. Having incestuous sexual relations (sexual relations with a family member).

41. Exposing myself provocatively.

42. Wearing clothes of the opposite sex.

43. Being promiscuous.

44. Having sex with someone much younger than myself.

45. Having sex with someone much older than myself.

46. Being much sought after by the opposite sex.

47. Being seduced as an “innocent.”

48. Seducing an “innocent.”

49. Being embarrassed by failure of sexual performance.

50. Having sex with someone of a different race.

51. Using objects for stimulation (e.g. vibrator, candles).

52. Being masturbated to orgasm by a partner.

53. Looking at obscene pictures or films.

54. Kissing passionately.

55. While engaging in a sexual act with my partner I have had sexual thoughts of saying something to my partner that I know would upset him/her.

56. While engaging in a sexual act with my partner I have had sexual thoughts of doing something to my partner that I know would upset him/her.

57. Any other sexual thought not listed above. (SPECIFY):

Note. Items 11, 22, 27, 30, 39, and 48 constitute the Sexual Dominance Subscale. Items 5, 6, 10, 19, 20, 23, 26, 31, 34, and 47 constitute the Sexual Submission Subscale.