Sexuality Scale

Abstract

The Sexuality Scale (SS), developed by William E. Snell, Jr., and D. R. Papini in 1989, is an objective, self-report instrument designed to comprehensively measure three distinct, but interrelated, dimensions of human sexuality. These core dimensions are Sexual Esteem, Sexual Depression, and Sexual Preoccupation. The scale consists of 30 items, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale format, and has demonstrated robust psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and strong support from factor analysis confirming its three-factor structure.

The SS allows researchers and clinicians to quantify positive self-regard concerning sexual functioning (esteem), negative emotional experiences regarding one’s sex life (depression), and the extent of excessive cognitive focus on sexual thoughts (preoccupation). An abbreviated 15-item version was later developed by Wiederman and Allgeier (1993), offering a shorter alternative for assessment.

Keywords

Sexuality Scale, Sexual Esteem, Sexual Depression, Sexual Preoccupation, self-report, psychometrics, factor analysis, psychological assessment, sexual health.

Authors

William E. Snell, Jr., D. R. Papini, T. D. Fisher, T. Schuh.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sexuality Scale (SS) is to provide a standardized, objective measure for assessing critical psychological components of an individual’s sexual experience. Unlike measures focusing solely on behavior or pathology, the SS targets affective and cognitive dimensions of sexuality, offering a nuanced view of sexual well-being and distress.

Specifically, the scale aims to quantify the three distinct constructs identified during its development: Sexual Esteem, defined as positive regard for and confidence in one’s capacity to experience sexuality in a satisfying and enjoyable manner; Sexual Depression, characterized by feelings of sadness, unhappiness, or disappointment regarding one’s sex life; and Sexual Preoccupation, defined as the tendency toward excessive cognitive focus or thought about sexual matters.

Construct

The Sexuality Scale measures three core, empirically derived psychological constructs related to sexual functioning and identity. These constructs operate independently but show meaningful correlations, which vary by gender.

• Sexual Esteem: This construct reflects an individual’s sense of sexual competence, skill, and positive self-image as a sexual partner. High scores indicate confidence and satisfaction in one’s sexual capabilities.
• Sexual Depression: This construct captures negative emotional states associated with one’s sexual life, including disappointment, sadness, and unhappiness regarding sexual experiences or relationships. Higher scores reflect greater sexual distress.
• Sexual Preoccupation: This construct measures the frequency and intensity of sexual thoughts, fantasies, and cognitive focus on sex, potentially to an excessive degree.

Initial research by Snell and Papini (1989) highlighted key relationships between these constructs: among both genders, Sexual Esteem was negatively correlated with Sexual Depression. Interestingly, gender differences emerged regarding preoccupation: for women, sexual esteem was positively associated with sexual preoccupation, while for men, sexual depression was directly related to their Sexual Preoccupation.

Validity

Evidence supporting the validity of the Sexuality Scale (SS) stems from various correlational studies demonstrating predictable relationships between the subscales and external criteria, including sexual attitudes and behaviors. Snell and Papini (1989) initially documented the expected negative correlation between sexual esteem and sexual depression among university students.

Further validation efforts by Snell, Fisher, and Schuh (1992) confirmed that SS measures related to men’s and women’s self-reported sexual behaviors and attitudes in theoretically meaningful ways. This research also provided evidence for the discriminant validity of the SS, confirming that the subscales measure distinct psychological domains. Additionally, studies have shown consistent gender differences in scale scores, with men typically scoring higher than women on both sexual esteem and sexual preoccupation (Wiederman & Allgeier, 1993). The SS has also been successfully employed in clinical settings, such as therapy treatment contexts focusing on sexual desire and function (Hurlbert et al., 1993), further supporting its clinical utility and construct validity.

Reliability

The Sexuality Scale exhibits strong internal consistency across its three subscales, as measured by Cronbach alpha coefficients. In the initial validation study (Snell & Papini, 1989), using a sample of 296 participants, the reliability estimates were consistently high:

• Sexual Esteem: Alphas ranged from .92 (women and combined sample) to .93 (men).
• Sexual Depression: Alphas ranged from .88 (women) to .94 (men), with a combined alpha of .90.
• Sexual Preoccupation: Alphas ranged from .79 (men) to .88 (women and combined sample).

Subsequent research confirmed these findings, with overall alpha ranges reported as .92 for sexual esteem, .85 to .93 for sexual depression, and .87 to .91 for sexual preoccupation (Snell et al., 1992). The scale also demonstrated adequate Test-Retest Reliability, with coefficients ranging from .69 to .74 for sexual esteem, .67 to .76 for sexual depression, and .70 to .76 for sexual preoccupation, confirming the stability of the measures over time. The 15-item short-form developed by Wiederman and Allgeier (1993) also maintained excellent internal consistency, with alphas ranging from .89 to .96 across subscales for both men and women.

Factor Analysis

The three-factor structure underlying the Sexuality Scale was rigorously confirmed through principal components factor analysis conducted on the 30 items (Snell & Papini, 1989). A three-factor solution was specified and rotated using the varimax procedure to achieve orthogonal simple structure.

The results strongly supported the conceptual model:

• Factor 1 (Sexual Esteem): This factor had the highest eigenvalue (8.39) and accounted for 56% of the common variance. All 10 sexual esteem items loaded substantially on this factor, with coefficients ranging from .52 to .82 (average coefficient: .69).
• Factor 2 (Sexual Preoccupation): This factor had an eigenvalue of 4.75 and accounted for 32% of the common variance. All 10 sexual preoccupation items loaded highly (greater than .41), with an average loading of .65.
• Factor 3 (Sexual Depression): This factor had an eigenvalue of 1.88 and accounted for 13% of the common variance. Eight of the 10 sexual depression items loaded strongly (ranging from .48 to .84; average coefficient: .67). Two items intended for this subscale were designated as “filler items” due to low loadings (less than .20).

Instrument

Test Type: Objective, Self-Report Instrument, Multidimensional Scale

Format: 30 items (Full Scale) or 15 items (Short Form), administered using a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: English (Original research).

Population Group: Adults (Primarily validated on university students).

Age Group: 19 to 53 years (Initial validation sample range).

Population Details: Validation sample consisted of 296 participants (209 females, 87 males) drawn from lower division psychology courses at a midwestern university. Mean age approximately 23.5–23.7 years.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement using a 5-point scale: Agree (+2), Slightly Agree (+1), Neither Agree nor Disagree (0), Slightly Disagree (-1), and Disagree (-2). Completion time is typically 15–20 minutes. Scoring involves summing coded items after reverse-coding specified items (R). Scores for Sexual Esteem and Sexual Preoccupation range from -20 to +20, while Sexual Depression scores range from -16 to +16 (due to the exclusion of two items during factor analysis). Higher positive scores indicate greater levels of the corresponding construct.

Keywords

Psychological testing, sexual function, sexual attitudes, psychometrics, confidence, depression, preoccupation, self-concept, sexual assessment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: William E. Snell, Jr., Southeast Missouri State University (at the time of initial publication).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original scale was published in 1989 by Snell and Papini. Information regarding current usage fees or specific permissions is not detailed in the source material; researchers should consult the original publication in The Journal of Sex Research for guidance on usage rights.

Reference’s

Hurlbert, D. F., White, L. C., Powell, R. D., & Apt, C. (1993). Orgasm consistency training in the treatment of women reporting hypoactive sexual desire: An outcome comparison of women-only groups and couples-only groups. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 24, 3–13.

Snell, W. E., Jr., & Papini, D. R. (1989). The Sexuality Scale: An instrument to measure sexual-esteem, sexual-depression, and sexual-preoccupation. The Journal of Sex Research, 26, 256–263.

Snell, W. E., Jr., Fisher, T. D., & Schuh, T. (1992). Reliability and validity of the Sexuality Scale: A measure of sexual-esteem, sexual-depression, and sexual-preoccupation. The Journal of Sex Research, 29, 261–273.

Wiederman, M. W., & Allgeier, E. R. (1993). The measurement of sexual-esteem: Investigation of Snell and Papini’s (1989) Sexuality Scale. Journal of Research in Personality, 27, 88–102.

Items of the Sexuality Scale

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

Instructions: The statements listed below describe certain attitudes toward human sexuality which different people may have. As such, there are no right or wrong answers, only personal responses. For each item you will be asked to indicate how much you agree or disagree with the statement listed in that item. Use the following scale to provide your responses:

• (A) Agree
• (B) Slightly agree
• (C) Neither agree nor disagree
• (D) Slightly disagree
• (E) Disagree

Scoring Key (R = Reverse Coded):

• Sexual Esteem (10 items): Items 1, 4, 7, 10R, 13R, 16, 19R, 22, 25R, 28R.
• Sexual Depression (8 items): Items 2, 5R, 8, 17, 20, 23R, 26, 29R.
• Sexual Preoccupation (10 items): Items 3, 6, 9R, 12, 15, 18, 21R, 24R, 27R, 30R.

1. I am a good sexual partner.

2. I am depressed about the sexual aspects of my life.

3. I think about sex all the time.

4. I would rate my sexual skill quite highly.

5. I feel good about my sexuality. (R)

6. I think about sex more than anything else.

7. I am better at sex than most other people.

8. I am disappointed about the quality of my sex life.

9. I don’t daydream about sexual situations. (R)

10. I sometimes have doubts about my sexual competence. (R)

11. Thinking about sex makes me happy.

12. I tend to be preoccupied with sex.

13. I am not very confident in sexual encounters. (R)

14. I derive pleasure and enjoyment from sex.

15. I’m constantly thinking about having sex.

16. I think of myself as a very good sexual partner.

17. I feel down about my sex life.

18. I think about sex a great deal of the time.

19. I would rate myself low as a sexual partner. (R)

20. I feel unhappy about my sexual relationships.

21. I seldom think about sex. (R)

22. I am confident about myself as a sexual partner.

23. I feel pleased with my sex life. (R)

24. I hardly ever fantasize about having sex. (R)

25. I am not very confident about my sexual skill. (R)

26. I feel sad when I think about my sexual experiences.

27. I probably think about sex less often than most people. (R)

28. I sometimes doubt my sexual competence. (R)

29. I am not discouraged about sex. (R)

30. I don’t think about sex very often. (R)