Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women

Abstract

The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) is a specialized psychometric instrument designed to quantify the individual propensity for sexual excitation (SE) and sexual inhibition (SI) in women. Its theoretical foundation is the Dual Control Model of sexual response, which postulates that sexual sexual arousal is determined by the relative balance between distinct excitatory and inhibitory neurological systems. Recognizing that the existing scales for men (SIS/SES) were potentially unsuitable for women, the SESII-W was developed using extensive qualitative data gathered from focus groups involving women of diverse backgrounds and sexual orientations.

The original inventory comprised 115 items, which were refined following initial validation studies involving 655 women. Factor analysis resulted in a final 36-item measure structured around two higher-order factors (SE and SI) and eight lower-order factors. The SESII-W provides a measure of normal variation in sexual responsiveness and is suitable for use with women regardless of their sexual experience or relationship status.

Keywords

Sexual Excitation, Sexual Inhibition, SESII-W, Dual Control Model, Sexual Arousability, Psychometrics, Women’s Sexuality, Sexual Functioning

Authors

Cynthia A. Graham, Stephanie A. Sanders, Robin R. Milhausen

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) is to assess an individual woman’s underlying propensity for sexual excitation (SE) and sexual inhibition (SI). By quantifying these two separate, yet interacting, systems, the scale provides insight into why individuals vary in their sexual responsiveness to different stimuli and contexts.

The scale was developed specifically to be appropriate for women, addressing the limitations of existing male-focused measures (SIS/SES). It aims to offer a robust and comprehensive tool for researchers and clinicians studying female sexual response, encompassing factors ranging from relationship importance to situational factors that may disrupt arousal.

Construct

The SESII-W measures the psychological construct of sexual response propensity based on the Dual Control Model (Bancroft, 1999; 2000). This model posits that sexual response is governed by two fundamentally independent systems: a Sexual Excitation System (SE) that promotes arousal, and a Sexual Inhibition System (SI) that suppresses or prevents arousal. The occurrence of sexual arousal is thus a function of the relative activation levels of these two systems.

The inventory operationalizes these higher-order factors through eight lower-order factors identified through factor analysis: five related to SE (Sexual Arousability, Partner Characteristics, Sexual Power Dynamics, Smell, and Setting—Unusual or Unconcealed) and three related to SI (Relationship Importance, Arousal Contingency, and Concerns About Sexual Function).

Validity

The SESII-W has demonstrated good evidence of both convergent and discriminant validity (Graham et al., 2006). Discriminant validity was supported by finding only modest correlations between SESII-W scores and scores on the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scales (BIS/BAS). This confirms that the SESII-W measures tendencies specific to sexual functioning rather than general behavioral inhibition or activation traits.

Evidence for convergent validity includes moderate positive correlations between the higher-order SE factor and measures of sexual openness, specifically the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) and the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale (SSSS). Conversely, weaker negative correlations were observed between the SOS and SSSS, and both the higher-order and lower-order SESII-W inhibition scores. Importantly, the scale demonstrated resilience against response bias, as no correlation was found between the Social Desirability Scale (SDSR) and any of the SE or SI factor scores, suggesting that responses are not unduly influenced by the desire to appear socially acceptable.

Reliability

The reliability of the SESII-W has been established through internal consistency measures and test-retest reliability studies (Graham et al., 2006). Internal consistency for the lower-order factor scales, measured using Cronbach’s alpha, ranged between .63 and .80, with an average alpha of .72, indicating satisfactory internal consistency across the subscales.

Satisfactory test-retest reliability was also observed. Correlations between the first and second administrations of the scale were statistically significant (p < .005) for all higher-order and lower-order factors. Specifically, the test-retest correlation coefficients for the higher-order factors were strong, measuring .81 for Sexual Excitation (SE) and .82 for Sexual Inhibition (SI).

Factor Analysis

The initial version of the SESII-W was developed based on qualitative data from focus groups and contained 115 items. Following administration to a sample of 655 women, a principal component factor analysis was conducted, which refined the measure down to 36 items comprising eight distinct lower-order factors.

These eight factors load onto two overarching higher-order factors: Sexual Excitation (SE) and Sexual Inhibition (SI). The factor structure is detailed as follows:

• Sexual Excitation (SE) Factors (5):
  • Sexual Arousability: General tendency to become sexually aroused across various situations.
  • Partner Characteristics: Arousal enhanced by a partner’s personality or positive behaviors (e.g., intelligence, talent).
  • Sexual Power Dynamics: Arousal associated with elements of force or domination within a trusting sexual context.
  • Smell: Arousal enhanced by olfactory cues.
  • Setting—Unusual or Unconcealed: Arousal increased by novelty or the possibility of being seen or heard having sex.
• Sexual Inhibition (SI) Factors (3):
  • Relationship Importance: The requirement for sex to occur within a specific, trusting relationship context.
  • Arousal Contingency: The potential for arousal to be easily inhibited or disrupted by situational factors.
  • Concerns About Sexual Function: The tendency for worries about performance or sexual functioning (e.g., orgasm, timing) to negatively affect arousal.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire

Format: 36 items utilizing a 4-point Likert-type rating scale.

Language Available: English (Original development language).

Population Group: Women

Age Group: Adult (Developed using women of varying ages).

Population Details: Suitable for women of different sexual orientations and varying degrees of sexual experience. Can be completed by women not currently in a sexual relationship. Initial validation sample (N=655) included students, staff, and community recruits.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the extent to which they agree or disagree with statements regarding stimulus situations that affect SE and SI, or general statements about arousability. The response options are: 1 = Strongly Disagree; 2 = Disagree; 3 = Agree; 4 = Strongly Agree. Scoring involves generating mean scores for each of the eight lower-order factors, which are then averaged to obtain the higher-order factor scores for SE (mean of 5 factors) and SI (mean of 3 factors). Completion time is typically 10 to 15 minutes.

Keywords

Sexual Excitation, Sexual Inhibition, Dual Control Model, Psychometrics, Sexual Arousability, Internal Consistency, Sexual Health, Clinical Assessment, Factor Structure

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in the source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Cynthia Graham, Oxford Doctoral Course in Clinical Psychology, Isis Education Centre, Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 7JX, England.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The use of the SESII-W for research purposes is encouraged by the authors, who request to be informed of the results obtained with the measure. The primary validation and psychometric properties of the 36-item scale were published in 2006 (Graham, Sanders, & Milhausen).

Reference’s

Bancroft, J. (1999). Central inhibition of sexual response in the male: A theoretical perspective. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 23, 763–784.

Bancroft, J., Graham, C. A., Janssen, E., & Sanders, S. A. (2009). The dual control model: Current status and future directions. The Journal of Sex Research, 46, 121–142.

Bancroft, J., & Janssen, E. (2000). The dual control model of male sexual response: A theoretical approach to centrally mediated erectile dysfunction. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 24, 571–579.

Carver, C. S., & White, T. L. (1994). Behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS Scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 319–333.

Fisher, W. A. (1998). The Sexual Opinion Survey. In C. M. Davis, W. L. Yarber, R. Bauserman, G. Schreer, & S. L. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of sexuality-related measures (pp. 218–223). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Graham, C. A., Sanders, S. A., & Milhausen, R. R. (2006). The Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women: Psychometric properties. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35, 397–410.

Graham, C. A., Sanders, S. A., Milhausen, R. R, & McBride, K. R. (2004). Turning on and turning off: A focus group study of the factors that affect women’s sexual arousal. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 33, 527–538.

Hays, R. D., Hayashi, T., & Stewart, A. L. (1989). A five-item measure of socially desirable response set. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 49, 629–636.

Janssen, E., Vorst, H., Finn, P., & Bancroft, J. (2002). The Sexual Inhibition (SIS) and Sexual Excitation (SES) Scales: II. Predicting psychophysiological response patterns. The Journal of Sex Research, 39, 127–132.

Kalichman, S. C., & Rompa, D. (1995). Sexual Sensation Seeking and Sexual Compulsivity Scales: Reliability, validity, and predicting HIV risk behavior. Journal of Personality Assessment, 65, 586–601.

Items of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women

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

Instructions

This questionnaire asks about things that might affect your sexual arousal. Other ways that we refer to sexual arousal are feeling “turned on,” “sexually excited,” and “being in a sexual mood.” Women describe their sexual arousal in many different ways. These can include genital changes (being “wet,” tingling sensations, feelings of warmth, etc.) as well as non-genital sensations (increased heart rate, temperature changes, skin sensitivity, etc.) or feelings (anticipation, heightened sense of awareness, feeling “sexy” or “sexual,” etc.).

We are interested in what would be the most typical reaction for you now. You may read a statement that you feel does not apply to you, or may have applied to you in the past but doesn’t now. In such cases please indicate how you think you would respond, if you were currently in that situation. Some of the questions sound very similar but are in fact different. Please read each statement carefully and then circle the number to indicate your answer.a

Don’t think too long before answering. Please give your first reaction to each question.

Sexual Excitation Factor (Higher-Order Factor)

Arousability Item Number and Item Content Loading Direction

15 Seeing an attractive partner’s naked body really turns me on.

17 Just being physically close with a partner is enough to turn me on.

19 I get very turned on when someone really wants me sexually.

20 Fantasizing about sex can quickly get me sexually excited.

24 When I think about someone I find sexually attractive, I easily become sexually aroused.

25 With a new partner I am easily aroused.

26 If I see someone dressed in a sexy way, I easily become sexually aroused.

30 Certain hormonal changes definitely increase my sexual arousal.

32 Sometimes I am so attracted to someone, I cannot stop myself from becoming sexually aroused.

Partner Characteristics Item Number and Item Content Loading Direction

5 Someone doing something that shows he/she is intelligent turns me on.

8 If I see a partner interacting well with others, I am more easily sexually aroused.

10 Seeing a partner doing something that shows his/her talent can make me very sexually aroused.

12 Eye contact with someone I find sexually attractive really turns me on.

Sexual Power Dynamics Item Number and Item Content Loading Direction

2 It turns me on if my partner “talks dirty” to me during sex.

6 Feeling overpowered in a sexual situation by someone I trust increases my arousal.

−27 If a partner is forceful during sex, it reduces my arousal.

28 Dominating my partner sexually is arousing to me.

Smell Item Number and Item Content Loading Direction

1. Particular scents are very arousing to me.

2. Often just how someone smells can be a turn-on.

Setting (Unusual or Unconcealed) Item Number and Item Content Loading Direction

3 Having sex in a different setting than usual is a real turn-on for me.

−4 If it is possible someone might see or hear us having sex, it is more difficult for me to get aroused.

−7 I find it harder to get sexually aroused if other people are nearby.

13 I get really turned on if I think I may get caught while having sex.

Sexual Inhibition Factor (Higher-Order Factor) Concerns about Sexual Function Item Number and Item Content Loading Direction

9 If I am concerned about being a good lover, I am less likely to become aroused.

18 If I think about whether I will have an orgasm, it is much harder for me to become aroused.

29 Sometimes I feel so “shy” or self-conscious during sex that I cannot become fully aroused.

31 If I am worried about taking too long to become aroused, this can interfere with my arousal.

Arousal Contingency Item Number and Item Content Loading Direction

1. It is difficult for me to stay sexually aroused.

2. When I am sexually aroused the slightest thing can turn me off.‌

3. Unless things are “just right” it is difficult for me to become sexually aroused.

Relationship Importance Item Number and Item Content Loading Direction

1 If I think that a partner might hurt me emotionally, I put the brakes on sexually.

11 It would be hard for me to become sexually aroused with someone who is involved with another person.

14 If I think that I am being used sexually it completely turns me off.

16 It is easier for me to become aroused with someone who has “relationship potential.”

21 If I am uncertain about how my partner feels about me, it is harder for me to get aroused.

33 I really need to trust a partner to become fully aroused.

aThe response choices for each question are: 1 Strongly Disagree; 2 Disagree; 3 Agree; 4 Strongly Agree.