Sexual Path Preferences Inventory

Abstract

The Sexual Path Preferences Inventory (SPPI) is a psychological instrument developed by Donald L. Mosher based on his 1980 sexual involvement theory. This inventory comprises 90 Likert items, arranged uniquely into 30 item triplets, utilizing a limited comparison format. The SPPI is designed to measure an individual’s Involvement Potential and their relative preference across three distinct families of sexual scripts (paths): Sexual Role Enactment, Sexual Trance, and Sex Partner Engagement. The inventory is suitable for sexually experienced adults and can be used in research concerning sexual involvement or in clinical settings addressing sexual dysfunction.

Keywords

Sexual Path Preferences Inventory, Donald L. Mosher, sexual involvement theory, sexual scripts, sexual preference, sexual role enactment, sexual trance, partner engagement, involvement potential, couple compatibility.

Authors

Donald L. Mosher.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sexual Path Preferences Inventory (SPPI) is to operationalize and measure key constructs derived from Mosher’s (1980) sexual involvement theory. Specifically, it assesses the individual’s capacity for deep absorption in a sexual episode (Involvement Potential) and their characteristic ways of achieving this involvement (Path Preferences).

The SPPI distinguishes three general paths, or families of plans, that define how an individual achieves depth of Involvement in a sexual episode: the path of Sexual Role Enactment, the path of Sexual Trance, and the path of Sex Partner Engagement. These measurements are crucial for understanding the cognitive and affective processes underlying individual sexual experience.

Additionally, the SPPI serves a unique function for couples by measuring the compatibility of path preferences. By comparing the path scores of both partners, the inventory can derive indices (Compatible Role Path, Compatible Trance Path, Compatible Partner Path) that quantify the potential for compatible involvement, aiding in clinical assessment of relationship dynamics.

Construct

The SPPI measures sexual involvement and path preference, constructs central to Mosher’s theory. Involvement is defined as a latent theoretical construct comprising interacting psychological processes that motivate and define a state of absorption in the sexual episode. This absorption is facilitated by effective sexual stimulation, which incorporates sensory signals, the affects of interest-excitement and enjoyment-joy, and cognitive interpretation governed by sexual scripts.

A path is conceptualized as a general sexual script containing an ordered set of rules for generating, interpreting, and evaluating related sexual scenes. The three paths measured by the SPPI are:

• Path of Involvement in Sexual Role Enactment: Characterized by sexual scenes interpreted as dramatic play, utilizing varied roles, and focusing on performance and excitement.
• Path of Involvement in Sexual Trance: Defined by absorption into sensory nerves, erotic images, and altered states of consciousness, often emphasizing rhythmic movement and mental receptivity.
• Path of Involvement with the Sex Partner: Centers on emotional bonding, love, union, and mutual pleasuring, where sex is viewed as the physical expression of interpersonal love.

The overall score, Involvement Potential, represents an individual’s latent capacity for total absorption in a sexual scene, realized as a function of their entire set of facilitating sexual scripts.

Validity

Validity evidence for the SPPI was primarily established by Sirkin (1985), demonstrating its relationship with self-reported sexual behavior and affective experiences. The research found significant gender differences, notably that college men scored higher on the Path of Role Enactment than college women.

For women, Involvement Potential, Trance Path Preference, and Role Path Preference were significantly correlated (Median r = .43) with self-reports of sexual behavior, sexual pleasure, and sexual fantasy. Partner Path Preference also correlated positively with reported sexual pleasure in women.

A key finding was the experimental validation of the Path of Sexual Trance. In an experiment using guided sexual imagery, individuals who scored above the median on the Trance Path and underwent hypnotic trance induction reported significantly higher sexual arousal compared to other subjects. This supports the theoretical prediction that this path involves mechanisms related to altered consciousness and intense sensory focus. Furthermore, Involvement Potential was a strong predictor of greater depth of involvement in the guided imagery, increased subjective sexual arousal, and more affective enjoyment and interest.

Reliability

Internal consistency reliability for the SPPI was assessed using Cronbach alpha coefficients on a sample of 100 sexually experienced adult men and women. The results demonstrated strong internal reliability across all major scales, suggesting consistent measurement of the underlying constructs:

• Involvement Potential: Alpha = .93
• Preference for Role Path: Alpha = .92
• Preference for Partner Path: Alpha = .91
• Preference for Trance Path: Alpha = .86

All calculated alpha coefficients meet or exceed standard thresholds for high reliability in psychological research instruments.

Factor Analysis

While explicit factor analysis documentation is not provided in the source description, the inventory is structured around three conceptually distinct paths (Role Enactment, Trance, and Partner Engagement), each measured by 30 dedicated items. This organization strongly supports a three-factor structure of preference, with the total score representing the general factor of Involvement Potential. The scoring method relies on summing the scores of the keyed items specific to each path, indicating an empirically derived or theoretically mandated factor grouping.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report inventory (Psychometric scale).

Format: 90 7-point Likert items (0, not at all true of (for) me, to 6, extremely true of (for) me). Items are organized into 30 item triplets based on categories (e.g., sexual metaphors, mood, settings, techniques). This arrangement is termed a limited comparison format, encouraging respondents to delineate preference gradations within the set.

Language Available: English (Original research).

Population Group: Adults.

Age Group: Appropriate for adults who are sexually experienced.

Population Details: The inventory requires respondents to have had sufficient sexual experience to develop discernible path preferences and to rate the items accurately.

Test Methodology: Respondents circle a number on the test booklet or fill in a blank on a machine-scoreable answer sheet. The required completion time is approximately 20 minutes. Scoring yields four main scores: total Involvement Potential (sum of all 90 items), and three Path Preference scores (sum of 30 keyed items for each path). Individual path scores above 120 suggest a highly valued path. Additionally, scores for Compatible Involving Path can be calculated for couples based on shared high ratings (5, 6, or 7) on specific items.

Keywords

Sexual measurement, psychometrics, sexual arousal, sexual pleasure, sexual fantasy, involvement, hypnotic trance, sexual scripts, couple assessment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Donald L. Mosher, 648 Ternberry Forest Drive, The Villages, FL 32162.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Sexual Path Preferences Inventory was developed by Donald L. Mosher, originating from theoretical work published in 1980 (Mosher, 1980) and validated in subsequent doctoral research (Sirkin, 1985). The inventory is noted as appropriate for use in research on sexual involvement theory and for clinical use with clients experiencing sexual dysfunction. Correspondence regarding use or permissions should be directed to the author via the provided email or mailing address.

Reference’s

Mosher, D. L. (1980). Three dimensions of depth of involvement in human sexual response. The Journal of Sex Research, 16, 1–42.

Sirkin, M. I. (1985). Sexual involvement theory, sexual trance, and hypnotizability: The experimental use of guided imagery. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Items of the Sexual Path Preferences Inventory

Sexual metaphors

1. Sex is artful and dramatic play.

2. Sex is union.

3. Sex is trance.

Mood

4. My favorite mood for enjoying sex is like a tranquil meditative state or the relaxation that you might get from a massage or marijuana.

5. When I’m feeling that “All the world’s a stage, and all the people are sex players,” then I know I want to get it on.

6. When my heart is bursting with love, I know our sex will be bursting with loving pleasure.

Settings

7. I like to have sex in a romantic context in which my partner and I are feeling loving toward one another.

8. I could enjoy having sex in a setting close to nature (e.g., on a mountain top or by the ocean), if I knew that we were totally alone and sure of privacy.

9. I would enjoy having sex in a dramatic setting, like in an oriental harem or an elegant New Orleans brothel.

Sexual techniques

10. Regardless of contemporary views on sexual variety, for me nothing will replace my favorite position for coitus of being face to face with the one I love.

11. I enjoy having sexual intercourse in a wide variety of positions.

12. I prefer slow and rhythmic movement that permits me to really sense the shades and nuances of pleasure that can exist during sexual intercourse.

Sexual metaphors

13. Sex is a drama that begins with attraction, develops a plot filled with intrigue, mystery, and sex play, and ends in tumultuous climax worthy of an audience’s applause.

14. Sex is a trip into your own sensory nerves and erotic images.

15. I consider sex to be the organ of love.

Mood

16. The most important aspect of my mood when I get into sex is that I be physically relaxed and mentally receptive.

17. To really want sex my mood must be one of really loving my partner.

18. I love serious sex play when I’m in a playful mood.

Settings

19. I believe that I would feel very excited by having secret sex in a semi-public place.

20. I like a setting for having sex that ensures total privacy.

21. I enjoy having sex in a place that has special meanings for me and my partner.

Sexual techniques

22. Ideally, all sexual techniques begin and build from kissing the face and lips.

23. I pride myself in being quite accomplished in the techniques of oral sex.

24. The most important thing about sexual technique is pacing and repetition that permits you and your partner to become absorbed into the sex.

Sexual style

25. My sexual style is affectionate and loving.

26. My sexual style is as varied as my mood suggests and my fantasies can create.

27. I concentrate on my inward sensations and experience during sex.

Ideal partner

28. Sexual skill and a flair for experimenting make an ideal sex partner.

29. An ideal sex partner flows with your mood and the situation rather than trying to dictate just how sex is to be done.

30. My ideal sex partner is my ideal love object.

Sex talk

31. If I talk during sex it’s liable to be to say something like “oh, that feels so good, oh more, mmmh good, etc.”

32. Most of all during sex I like to hear and say “I love you.”

33. I really get off when my partner is urging, begging, or directing me by saying, for example, “fuck me, fuck me, fuck me!”

Sex fantasies

34. Sometimes I imagine that my partner through his/her sexual participation is pledging his/her love to me for life.

35. I can enjoy a wide range of sexual fantasies that create novelty in partners, activities, and settings.

36. I like to use my imagination to increase my absorption into the sensory experience of sex.

Sexual techniques

37. My sexual style concentrates on mutual pleasuring to bond us closer together.

38. Sexual variety is the spice of a love life.

39. When I have truly good sex I care less about what and how we are doing it sexually than I do about what I am sensing, feeling, and experiencing as a consequence.

Sexual style

40. For me the sexual experience is truly entrancing, and you would never know how intensely I am experiencing the sex by just looking at me.

41. In my sexual style I try to blend the romantic with the erotic to offer a full rich gift of sexual love.

42. I like to play different sexual roles and scripts that act out fantasies while having sex.

Ideal partner

43. I expect my sexual partner to help create and sustain an ambiance of sensual pleasure.

44. I like a partner who moans and writhes and is carried away by his/her passion.

45. I expect my sex partner to be truly sexually considerate and loving.

Sex talk

46. I can enjoy lusty sex talk that uses erotic language for erotic acts.

47. During sex I like little talk and more sensual friction.

48. Sex talk should be love talk.

Sex fantasies

49. I have several fantastic sex fantasies with dramatic and exciting plots that help turn me on during ordinary sex.

50. I may imagine how I look or how my own and my partner’s sex organs look, etc. during sex to enhance my erotic pleasure.

51. Sometimes I imagine my partner is telling me how much he/she loves me during our lovemaking in ways that exceed the limits of mere words.

Ideal sex

52. Truly good sex for me usually entails a wide variety of sex practices and coital positions.

53. Good sex is the physical expression through sexual union of an interpersonal loving union.

54. Good sex for me is characterized by an intense involvement into the sensual and sexual sensation of the moment.

Music

55. Music to have sex by should have dramatic changes in rhythm, tempo, and volume while building to a lively crescendo.

56. Music to have sex by should be soft, low, and repetitive to form a rhythmic background that facilitates the flow without setting a pace to be followed.

57. Music to have sex by should be lyrical, romantic, and poetic in tone to match the partner’s loving mood.

Orgasms

58. I most enjoy orgasms in which I seem to flow into my partner and lose myself in our union.

59. I love it when sex moves me to uninhibited self-expression that leaves me with no sense of control of my sounds, movements, and orgasm.

60. I most enjoy orgasms in which I experience sensations that are so intense that I actually lose consciousness or at least waking consciousness fades in the face of the culminative sensations and experience.

Ideal partner

61. An ideal sex partner knows exactly what I like and want now.

62. I enjoy a partner who is open to playing different roles so that we can create a novel and dramatic sexual script.

63. If a person cannot look me in the eye before, during and after sex, I suspect the attraction is to my body and not to me.

Sex fantasies

64. Most of my fantasies during sex are really memories of past shared moments in which we felt especially close and loving.

65. Sometimes I experience visual and auditory images that accompany the sensual sensory experience during sex.

66. Sometimes I imagine that I could enjoy sex on a stage surrounded by an admiring audience.

Ideal sex

67. The best sex for me is loving sex.

68. The best sex occurs when sexual expression becomes so ecstatic that it becomes nonvolitional and I lose all sense of conscious control.

69. When I’m having the best sex, my sex organs become alive and their sensations demand and direct the action.

Orgasms

70. I love it when my orgasms are nearly convulsive and I involuntarily scream in pleasure, and grab, and/or bite, or scratch.

71. To orgasm, I must be secure in my love for and from my partner.

72. During orgasms my awareness is flooded with intense sensations.

Emotions

73. Love is the predominant emotion in my sexual experience.

74. Excitement is the predominant emotion in my sexual experience.

75. Enjoyment is the predominant emotion in my sexual experience.

Meanings of sex

76. Sex is the merger of two into a unity of physical and spiritual love.

77. The meaning of sex is that it permits me to set aside my daily existence and to be transported into an underworld of sensations.

78. Sex when most meaningful is a cathartic drama that requires mastery and artful performance of one’s sexual identity.

Sex fantasies

79. I sometimes imagine that my partner and I have been selected to symbolize the essence of love in a religious-like, sexual-spiritual ritual.

80. I can enjoy imagining that I am an amazingly successful porno film star and sex symbol in our culture.

81. I rarely have a sex fantasy with a plot; usually I only have a series of nonconnected, visual, sexual images of, for example, sex organs.

Ideal sex

82. The best sex occurs when I enter into a loving warm union with my partner, when we become two in one.

83. Sexual ecstasy is my criterion of good sex.

84. Good sex is total absorption into the sexual experience.

Orgasms

85. The moment of orgasm is a moment of total surrender to intense sensations.

86. The best orgasm is like an involuntary dramatic shock that overwhelms yet releases my sexual tension.

87. Orgasms are a unique moment of fusion in which my soul cries out its love through my body, and my longing for my partner is fulfilled.

Meanings of sex

88. Sharing sex with my partner can become a ritual that celebrates the profound meaning of life.

89. During sex I feel transported into another level of consciousness or plane of existence that gives me a new understanding of my life and the universe.

90. When I have a super sexual experience I feel as if I embody all men/women in a universal and timeless sexual ritual.