Sexual Situation Questionnaire

Abstract

The Sexual Situation Questionnaire (SSQ) is a specialized psychological instrument designed by E. Sandra Byers and Lucia F. O’Sullivan to quantify behavior and communication patterns during interactions where heterosexual dating partners express a disagreement regarding the desired level of sexual intimacy. The scale specifically assesses both coercive behaviors and noncoercive influence strategies used by an initiating partner to persuade a reluctant partner to engage in the disputed sexual activity (Byers & Lewis, 1988; O’Sullivan & Byers, 1993, 1996). The SSQ utilizes parallel forms to capture situations where either the male or the female is the reluctant partner, differing primarily in the pronouns used to designate the initiator and the reluctant party. The instrument defines “sexual activity” broadly, encompassing everything from holding hands to sexual intercourse, and defines “dating” broadly as any social situation involving a member of the opposite sex. The SSQ is adaptable for use in assessing same-sex sexual interactions.

Keywords

Sexual intimacy, disagreement, dating relationships, coercive behaviors, sexual communication, influence strategies, sexual consent, relationship conflict.

Authors

E. Sandra Byers, Lucia F. O’Sullivan.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the SSQ is to systematically measure the complexities of communication and behavior surrounding discrepancies in desired sexual activity levels within dating contexts. This measurement includes detailed assessment of the steps taken by the initiating partner to influence the reluctant partner, and the clarity of the reluctance displayed by the non-initiating partner. The instrument aims to shed light on how individuals navigate situations of sexual negotiation and disagreement.

The SSQ is designed for flexible administration, functioning either retrospectively, asking participants to recall their most recent disagreement incident, or as a self-monitoring device requiring daily recording of disagreement occurrences. This dual approach allows researchers to study both immediate situational context and aggregated frequency of these critical relationship interactions, providing rich data on relationship characteristics, reasons for reluctance, and the ultimate outcome of the disputed activity.

Construct

The SSQ measures the construct of Sexual Disagreement and Influence Strategies in dating relationships. It operationalizes this construct by focusing on three core behavioral components of the interaction, providing detailed information on the communication dynamics surrounding the disputed sexual activity:

• Initiation Behaviors: Verbal and/or nonverbal actions used to express a desire for a higher level of sexual activity.
• Response Behaviors: Verbal and/or nonverbal actions used by the reluctant partner to communicate unwillingness.
• Influence Behaviors: Strategies (a checklist of 34 possible tactics, including coercive and noncoercive methods) employed by the initiator in response to the partner’s reluctance, along with the perceived impact (positive, negative, or neutral) of those strategies on the reluctant partner.

The questionnaire also collects contextual data, including relationship type, number of previous dates, romantic interest, location of the incident, prior consensual activities, and the reasons why the reluctant partner did not want to engage in the requested sexual activity (e.g., timing, moral beliefs, mood).

Validity

Evidence supporting the SSQ’s validity stems partly from the high level of confidence reported by respondents regarding the accuracy of their recalled experiences. Across studies, mean confidence ratings consistently registered around 5.1 to 5.2 on a 6-point scale (O’Sullivan & Byers, 1993, 1996; Byers & Lewis, 1988), suggesting that participants felt capable of providing truthful and accurate accounts of these sensitive interactions.

Further evidence supports the validity of key internal metrics, specifically the definiteness and compliance scales. The Definiteness Scale, which measures the clarity of a partner’s refusal, was validated by findings that men reported being less likely to comply with a woman’s refusal if her verbal responses were less definite than if they were more definite. Similarly, the Compliance Scale demonstrated validity through findings that men categorized as more traditional exhibited lower compliance rates when faced with a woman’s refusal of their sexual advances, aligning with predicted gender and sociological patterns.

Reliability

The SSQ demonstrates good reliability, particularly concerning the categorization of open-ended responses. Since five items require open-ended answers detailing the interaction (e.g., specific verbal and nonverbal components), the measure requires careful coding. The reliability of this coding process is high, as evidenced by strong interrater agreement scores.

Reported mean interrater agreement for the open-ended questions was .87 (ranging from .83 to 1.0) in studies by O’Sullivan and Byers (1993, 1996), and .85 (ranging from .71 to an unspecified upper limit) in Byers and Lewis (1988). This high level of consistency confirms that the procedures for categorizing complex qualitative data derived from the SSQ are robust and reliable.

Factor Analysis

The provided source material does not explicitly detail the results of formal factor analytic studies (such as Exploratory or Confirmatory Factor Analysis) performed on the 19-item core questionnaire or the 34 influence strategies checklist to determine underlying latent structures. While the instrument relies on structured categorical and dimensional scales (e.g., the definiteness and compliance scales), researchers interested in the scale’s psychometric structure should consult the original published research articles for specific factor loadings or scale development documentation.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Situational Assessment Instrument.

Format: Primarily multiple choice (19 core items plus a detailed 34-item checklist for influence strategies). Five items utilize an open-ended format for rich qualitative data gathering.

Language Available: English (based on source material).

Population Group: Individuals involved in heterosexual dating relationships who have experienced a disagreement over the desired level of sexual activity. The structure allows for adaptation to same-sex interactions.

Age Group: Typically administered to college students or young adults, consistent with the dating population studied in the development phase.

Population Details: The questionnaire is administered in parallel forms (male/female, reluctant/initiator) to capture both perspectives on the disagreement incident, focusing on either the first (self-monitoring) or most recent (retrospective) event.

Test Methodology: The SSQ measures specific interaction characteristics using various response modes: categorical ratings for location and reasons for reluctance; 4-point scales for verbal and nonverbal definiteness; and a 5-point compliance scale for rating the initiator’s response to refusal (e.g., compliance, persuasion attempt, continued advances).

Keywords

Sexual refusal, compliance, definiteness scale, communication conflict, relationship dynamics, sexual consent, coercion, psychological measurement.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: The correspondence email for E. Sandra Byers is [email protected].

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

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The SSQ was initially developed and utilized in academic research beginning around 1988 (Byers & Lewis, 1988). The scale is widely recognized in the field of sexual health and relationship research. Information regarding current commercial licensing fees or required permissions for academic use beyond the initial publications is not detailed in the source material. Researchers interested in utilizing the scale should contact the corresponding author, E. Sandra Byers, directly for permission and usage guidelines.

Reference’s

• Byers, E. S., & Lewis, K. (1988). Dating couples’ disagreements over the desired level of sexual intimacy. The Journal of Sex Research, 24, 15–29.
• O’Sullivan, L. F., & Byers, E. S. (1993). Eroding stereotypes: College women’s attempts to influence reluctant male sexual partners. The Journal of Sex Research, 30, 270–282.
• O’Sullivan, L. F., & Byers, E. S. (1996). Gender differences in responses to discrepancies in desired level of sexual intimacy. The Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality, 8(1/2), 49–67.

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Items of the Sexual Situation Questionnaire

Sexual Situation Questionnaire for Men (Reluctant Woman Version)

Instructions: We are interested in learning more about communication in dating situations in which you, a man, wished to engage in a higher level of sexual activity than your date, a woman, wanted to engage in at that time. For example, you may have wanted to kiss a woman when she did not wish to kiss you. Another example would be if you wanted to have intercourse and your date only wanted to go as far as sexual fondling. Notice that we are interested in communication about all levels of sexual activity from holding hands and kissing to intercourse. And, while we use the term “date,” we are interested in any sexual situation that you are in with a member of the other sex, even if it is not part of what you may consider to be a true “date.” Also, when we use the term “disagreement,” we are referring to those situations in which you indicate a desire to engage in a higher level of sexual activity than a woman wanted–even if she later changed her mind and engaged in the sexual activity anyway or she was convinced to engage in the sexual activity some other way. In other words, the term “disagreement” means that you and your date differed in the level of sexual activity desired. It does not imply that you argued or fought about this issue.

1. Have you ever been on a date where you wanted to engage in a higher level of sexual activity than your date, a woman, did? _

   Yes No

   If No, then you do not need to complete the rest of the questionnaire.

   If Yes, please complete the rest of the questionnaire for the most recent time that this occurred.

2. How long ago was the most recent time that you wanted to engage in a higher level of sexual activity than your date did?

   (specify number and whether it was days, weeks, or months).

3. Prior to the disagreement, how many previous dates had you and this woman had together?           

4. What type of relationship did you have with your date prior to the disagreement?

   first date

   casual date

   steady date

5. Where were you and your date at the time of the disagreement?

6. The sexual activity that you wished to engage in but your date did not wish to engage in was: (check all that apply)

   hugging

   a kiss

   necking

   you fondling or kissing your date’s breasts

   you fondling your date’s genitals

   your date fondling your genitals

   oral sex (male to female)

   oral sex (female to male)

   intercourse

   anal sex

   other (please specify)

7. Why did your date not wish to engage in this sexual activity?

8. Had you ever engaged in this sexual activity before with this woman?

   Yes     No

9. The sexual activity (or activities) that you and your date were engaging in immediately prior to the disagreement was (were): (check as many as apply)

   no sexual activity

   hugging

   a kiss

   necking

   you fondling or kissing your date’s breasts

   your date fondling your genitals

   you fondling her genitals

   oral sex (male to female)

   oral sex (female to male)

   intercourse

   anal sex

   other (please specify)

10. How clearly did you indicate to your date that you wanted to engage in the higher level of sexual activity that you specified in Question 6?

    extremely clearly

    moderately clearly

    somewhat clearly

    somewhat unclearly

    moderately unclearly

    extremely unclearly

11. What did you say and/or do to indicate that you wanted to engage in the higher level of sexual activity that you specified in Question 6? (Please write the exact words you used [if any] and/or describe the actions that you used [if any] to indicate that you wanted to engage in the sexual activity.)

    I said: I did:                                                                                     

12. How clearly did your date indicate that she did not want to engage in this sexual activity?

    extremely clearly

    moderately clearly

    somewhat clearly

    somewhat unclearly

    moderately unclearly

    extremely unclearly

13. What did she say and/or do to indicate that she did not want to engage in this sexual activity? (Please write the exact words she used [if any] and/or describe the actions that she used [if any] to indicate that she did not want to engage in the sexual activity.) She said:                                                                                

    She did:                                                                                

14. How did you respond after she had indicated that she did not want to engage in this sexual activity? (Please write the exact words you used [if any] and/or describe the actions that you used [if any] after she had indicated that she did not want to engage in the sexual activity.)

    I said:                                                                                    

    I did:                                                                                     

15. Did you and your date end up engaging in the sexual activity that you had disagreed upon? Yes, then       

    Yes, later on that date No, not on that date       

16. Please indicate which of the following behaviors you used (if any) in attempting to influence your date to engage in the higher level of sexual activity once she had indicated that she did not want to by placing a check mark in the left hand column below.

    Then, for each behaviour you used, indicate the impact of the behaviour on your date at that time. Use a “P” if the impact of the behavior was positive or pleasing to your date, a “D” if the impact of the behavior was negative or displeasing, or an “N” if the impact of the behavior was neutral. (Check as many behaviours as occurred.)

    Impact on woman (P, D, or N)

    • 1. asked her if she found you sexually attractive
    • 2. pouted, sulked, or refused to talk
    • 3. told her that you were too sexually aroused to stop
    • 4. said things to her that you did not really mean (e.g., told her that you loved her and you do not)
    • 5. talked about your real feelings toward her (e.g., told her that you loved her and you do)
    • 6. threats (e.g. to end the date, end the relationship or tell others)
    • 7. discontinued all sexual activity
    • 8. complimented her on her body or sexuality
    • 9. made negative comments (e.g. about her sexuality, her personality, her appearance or the relationship)
    • 10. pinched, poked her
    • 11. tickled her
    • 12. pleaded
    • 13. tried to reason with her
    • 14. bargained, negotiated, or suggested a compromise
    • 15. took off or loosened clothing
    • 16. flirted
    • 17. pretended to become disinterested in the sexual activity that you had wanted to engage in previously
    • 18. cried
    • 19. grabbed her or used some other form of physical pressure
    • 20. touched, stroked her
    • 21. tried to get her drunk, stoned
    • 22. started an argument
    • 23. made positive comments about her appearance
    • 24. made positive comments about her personality
    • 25. made positive comments about the relationship
    • 26. told her how enjoyable it would be
    • 27. made her feel guilty
    • 28. used humor
    • 29. moved away from her
    • 30. made her jealous (e.g., flirted with someone else)
    • 31. ignored refusal and engaged in the higher level of sexual activity anyway
    • 32. asked her why she didn’t want to do it
    • 33. put on clothing, music that you hoped she would find arousing
    • 34. danced, moved seductively
    • 35. other (please specify)                             

17. At the time when you wanted to engage in the higher level of sexual activity than your date did, how pleasurable was it being with your date?

    extremely unpleasant

    moderately unpleasant

    slightly unpleasant

    slightly pleasant

    moderately pleasant

    extremely pleasant

18. How do you now evaluate this time with your date (when you wanted to engage in a higher level of sexual activity)?

    extremely unpleasant

    moderately unpleasant

    slightly unpleasant

    slightly pleasant

    moderately pleasant

    extremely pleasant

19. Before this incident, how romantically interested did you feel toward your date?

    no romantic interest

    slightly romantically interested

    moderately romantically interested

    very romantically interested

    extremely romantically interested

20. After this incident, how romantically interested did you feel toward your date?

    no romantic interest

    slightly romantically interested

    moderately romantically interested

    very romantically interested

    extremely romantically interested

21. If there is any additional information that would help us to understand the incident that you described above, please provide it.

22. How confident are you that your responses are accurate?

    very unsure

    moderately unsure

    slightly unsure

    slightly sure

    moderately sure

    very sure

This version of the questionnaire is designed for men to report on incidents in which they desired a higher level of sexual activity than did their female partner. Men can also be asked to report on situations in which their female partner desired to engage in a higher level of sexual activity than they did, and women can be asked to report on either of these disagreement situations by altering the pronouns and use of the terms man and woman.