Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales—Short Form

Abstract

The Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales—Short Form (SIS/SES-SF) is a 14-item self-report measure developed to assess individual differences in proneness to sexual excitation (SES) and sexual inhibition (SIS) for both men and women, based on the Dual Control Model of sexual response (Bancroft & Janssen, 2000). The scale is a streamlined version of the original 45-item SIS/SES, which identified one sexual excitation factor (SES) and two inhibition-related factors: SIS1 (threat of performance failure) and SIS2 (threat of performance consequences).

The development of the SIS/SES-SF utilized data from 2,045 Indiana University undergraduates. The short form was created by selecting items that demonstrated full measurement invariant properties across genders. This stringent selection process ensures that the underlying three-factor structure is equally relevant and psychometrically sound for both male and female populations, addressing known gender differences present in the original scale. The resulting 14-item scale maintains strong correlations with the full 45-item version (r = .90 for SES; r = .80 for SIS1 and SIS2), confirming its utility as an efficient, gender-neutral measure of sexual response tendencies.

Keywords

Sexual Excitation, Sexual Inhibition, Dual Control Model, SIS/SES-SF, Sexual arousal, Psychological scales, Psychometrics, Gender differences, SIS1, SIS2.

Authors

Deanna L. Carpenter, Ericka Janssen, Cynthia A. Graham, Harrie Vorst, Jelte Wicherts.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SIS/SES-SF is to provide an efficient, psychometrically sound, and gender-invariant measure of the core constructs defined by the Dual Control Model of sexual response. The original 45-item scale identified significant gender differences in how certain items related to the underlying constructs, necessitating a shorter form focused exclusively on themes shared equally by men and women.

The scale aims to quantify an individual’s propensity for sexual excitation (SES) and two distinct forms of sexual inhibition (SIS1 and SIS2). By focusing on items that achieved full measurement invariant status, the SIS/SES-SF allows for more accurate and direct comparison of sexual response profiles across genders. Its brevity makes it highly suitable for large-scale research studies or clinical settings where administration time is a constraint.

Construct

The SIS/SES-SF measures three distinct factors derived from the Dual Control Model, which posits that sexual arousal and response are determined by the balance between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in the central nervous system. These factors are:

• Sexual Excitation (SES): This factor measures the general propensity to experience sexual excitement in response to various stimuli. In the short form, SES themes focus on sexual arousal stemming from social interactions and attraction (e.g., flirting, sexy voices), rather than less relational activities like fantasy.
• Sexual Inhibition 1 (SIS1): This factor measures the tendency toward inhibition due to the threat of performance failure. SIS1 themes included in the short form for both women and men relate to distraction, focusing on sexual performance, and past problems with arousal. Themes more relevant only to men (e.g., concerns about pleasing partners sexually) were excluded.
• Sexual Inhibition 2 (SIS2): This factor measures the tendency toward inhibition due to the threat of performance consequences. SIS2 themes shared by both men and women include risk of getting caught or contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Concerns about pregnancy/pain, which were more relevant to women, were not represented in the short form.

Validity

The validity of the SIS/SES-SF was assessed by correlating its scores with several established personality and sexuality measures in a subset of participants (141 women and 532 men). These measures included the Neuroticism and Extraversion/Introversion Scales of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Harm Avoidance Scale of the Minnesota Personality Questionnaire, the Social Desirability Scale, the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scales, the Sexual Opinion Survey, and the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory.

The resulting data confirmed that the convergent and discriminant validity properties of the 14-item SIS/SES-SF closely resemble those of the original 45-item measure. Crucially, the correlations between the full 45-item SIS/SES and the 14-item Short Form were identical for men and women across all subscales: SES (r = .90), SIS1 (r = .80), and SIS2 (r = .80). This evidence supports the short form’s ability to capture the intended constructs reliably across genders.

Reliability

Test-retest reliability was examined using a subset of 101 participants (50 men and 51 women) who completed the SIS/SES on two occasions, separated by an average interim of 32 days for women and 48 days for men. After removing three outliers, the reliability coefficients indicated acceptable stability over time.

For women, the test-retest reliability coefficients were: SES (r = .61), SIS1 (r = .61), and SIS2 (r = .63). For men, the test-retest reliability coefficients were slightly higher: SES (r = .75), SIS1 (r = .66), and SIS2 (r = .65).

Factor Analysis

The development process relied on extensive factor analysis conducted using LISREL on the responses of 2,045 undergraduates who completed the original 45-item SIS/SES. The initial goal was to identify a three-factor solution (SES, SIS1, SIS2) with equal factor loadings for men and women.

A preliminary analysis identified 19 items with adequate factor loadings. However, the final 14-item solution was achieved by applying a strict criterion: only items that were fully measurement invariant across gender were retained. This means that items showing differences in measurement characteristics, such as item intercepts or residual variances between males and females, were excluded. This rigorous selection procedure ensured that the SIS/SES-SF is a robust cross-gender instrument, focusing only on central themes of sexual excitation and inhibition shared by both populations.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, Psychometrics measure.

Format: 14 items rated on a 4-point scale (1 = Strongly Agree to 4 = Strongly Disagree).

Language Available: English (Original validation).

Population Group: Adults/Undergraduates.

Age Group: Late Adolescence/Young Adulthood (Mean age = 19.8 in validation sample).

Population Details: Validation sample included 2,045 Indiana University undergraduates (1,067 women and 978 men).

Test Methodology: The questionnaire takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Scoring requires recoding all items so that 1 = Strongly Disagree and 4 = Strongly Agree. Subscale scores are calculated by summing responses: SES (Items 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 14; range 6–24), SIS1 (Items 4, 9, 12, 13; range 4–16), and SIS2 (Items 2, 5, 6, 7; range 4–16).

Keywords

Sexual inhibition, Sexual excitation, LISREL, Measurement invariant, SIS1, SIS2, Sexual function, Factor analysis, Sex research.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Contact authors via their respective institutions (Christopher Newport University, The Kinsey Institute, Warneford Hospital Oxford, University of Amsterdam).

Correspondence Address: Refer to the primary author of the validation paper (Carpenter, D. L., 2008).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original full scale (SIS/SES) was initially validated in men in 2002 (Janssen et al.). The short form (SIS/SES-SF) validation and refinement, ensuring gender-invariance, were published in 2008 (Carpenter et al.). Researchers seeking permissions or usage information should contact the primary authors or the institutions involved in the scale’s development, such as The Kinsey Institute.

Reference’s

• Bancroft, J., Graham, C., Janssen, E., & Sanders, S. (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.

• Carpenter, D., Janssen, E., Graham, C. A., Vorst, H., & Wicherts, J. (2008). Women’s scores on the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES): Gender similarities and differences. The Journal of Sex Research, 45, 36–48.

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Items of the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales—Short Form

1. When a sexually attractive stranger accidentally touches me, I easily become aroused.

2. If I am having sex in a secluded, outdoor place and I think that someone is nearby, I am not likely to get very aroused.

3. When I talk to someone on the telephone who has a sexy voice, I become sexually aroused.

4. I cannot get aroused unless I focus exclusively on sexual stimulation.

5. If I am masturbating on my own and I realize that someone is likely to come into the room at any moment, I will lose my erection/my sexual arousal.

6. If I realize there is a risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease, I am unlikely to stay sexually aroused.

7. If I can be seen by others while having sex, I am unlikely to stay sexually aroused.

8. When I think of a very attractive person, I easily become sexually aroused.

9. Once I have an erection, I want to start intercourse right away before I lose my erection/Once I am sexually aroused, I want to start intercourse right away before I lose my arousal.

10. When I start fantasizing about sex, I quickly become sexually aroused.

11. When I see others engaged in sexual activities, I feel like having sex myself.

12. When I have a distracting thought, I easily lose my erection/my arousal.

13. If I am distracted by hearing music, television, or a conversation, I am unlikely to stay aroused.

14. When an attractive person flirts with me, I easily become sexually aroused. A B C D

Note: When different item versions are used for men and women, both versions are given (male/female).