The New Sexual Satisfaction Scale and Its Short Form

Abstract

The New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS) is a comprehensive, 20-item psychometric instrument designed for the universal assessment of sexual satisfaction, validated across diverse populations in Croatia and the United States. Unlike many existing measures, the NSSS is intentionally developed to be independent of gender, sexual orientation, or relationship status. Its conceptual foundation is drawn from established sex counseling and psychotherapy literature, incorporating five key dimensions: sexual sensations, sexual presence/awareness, sexual exchange, emotional connection/closeness, and sexual activity. To enhance utility in both clinical and nonclinical research settings, a reliable 12-item short form (NSSS-S) was also developed. Both the full scale and the short form demonstrate strong psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and strong validity in differentiating clinical populations with sexual difficulties from nonclinical samples.

Keywords

Sexual Satisfaction, NSSS, NSSS-S, Psychometrics, Sexual Health, Sex Therapy, Scale Validation, Ego-Centered, Partner-Centered

Authors

Aleksandar Štulhofer, Vesna Buško, Pamela Brouillard

Purpose

The primary purpose of the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS) is to provide a robust, universal measure of sexual satisfaction suitable for diverse populations. The scale was specifically engineered to overcome limitations found in existing measures that are often restricted by gender, sexual orientation, or current relationship status, thereby allowing for broader cross-cultural and comparative research.

Its secondary purpose is to facilitate both large-scale nonclinical studies and focused clinical assessments. The development of the 12-item short form (NSSS-S) specifically addresses the need for a time-efficient instrument that maintains high levels of reliability and validity comparable to the full 20-item version, making it ideal for large surveys or settings where respondent fatigue is a concern.

Construct

The NSSS measures the multidimensional construct of sexual satisfaction, grounding its framework in established sexology and psychotherapy literature. Initially, the construct was conceptualized across five interlinked dimensions: (a) sexual sensations, (b) sexual presence/awareness, (c) sexual exchange, (d) emotional connection/closeness, and (e) sexual activity.

Through subsequent psychometric testing, the 20 retained items coalesced into a stable two-factor structure, reflecting the duality inherent in sexual satisfaction: the internal experience and the relational/behavioral experience. These two factors constitute the primary subscales of the NSSS: the Ego-Centered subscale, which focuses on satisfaction derived from personal experiences and sensations (e.g., arousal, orgasm quality, emotional opening), and the Partner/Sexual Activity-Centered subscale, which assesses satisfaction based on the individual’s perception of the partner’s reactions, behaviors, and the overall diversity and frequency of sexual activities.

Validity

Both the NSSS and NSSS-S demonstrated strong evidence of validity across multiple analyses. Convergent validity was supported by significant positive associations with a global, single-item measure of sexual satisfaction (ranging from r = .44 to .67) and with general life satisfaction. Furthermore, the scales showed expected positive correlations with markers of healthy sexual relationships, such as relationship intimacy and partner communication about sex, and a significant negative correlation with scores on the shortened Sexual Boredom Scale (Watt & Ewing, 1996).

Evidence for discriminant validity and clinical utility was robust. The scales successfully differentiated between participants from a clinical sample (sex therapy clients) and those from a nonclinical community sample. Participants diagnosed with sexual difficulties (per DSM-IV-TR criteria) consistently reported significantly lower satisfaction scores (Cohen’s d ranging from -1.07 to -1.39, indicating large differences). Discriminant analysis using the NSSS correctly classified 80.3% of all cases (64.8% of clinical cases), demonstrating the scale’s effectiveness as a diagnostic aid in distinguishing between clinical and nonclinical populations.

Reliability

The reliability of the NSSS and NSSS-S was assessed through internal consistency and test-retest stability across multiple student, community, and nonheterosexual samples in Croatia and the U.S.

Internal consistency was found to be highly satisfactory across all versions and populations: the full scale demonstrated Cronbach’s alpha values between .94 and .96; the two subscales ranged from .90 to .94; and the short version (NSSS-S) maintained high consistency (alpha = .90–.93). Crucially, these high coefficients remained stable regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or current relationship status (single vs. partnered).

Test-retest reliability over a one-month period among Croatian students was also satisfactory, with stability coefficients ranging from .72 to .84. The analysis indicated slightly stronger stability associations among female participants.

Factor Analysis

Scale construction commenced with an initial pool of 35 Likert items developed based on the five-dimensional conceptual framework. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted, initially extracting six components with eigenvalues greater than 1. These were rotated using the oblimin method.

A closer inspection led researchers to pursue a forced two-factor solution, which proved highly stable across Croatian and U.S. student and adult samples, as well as across gender and nonheterosexual samples. This two-factor solution defined the two main subscales: the Ego-Centered subscale (personal experiences) and the Partner/Sexual Activity-Centered subscale (relational and behavioral aspects). The strong correlation between these two factors (ranging from .52 to .61) indicated a high degree of homogeneity within the overall sexual satisfaction construct. The final NSSS retains 20 items, 10 per component.

The Short Version (NSSS-S) was derived from the 20 NSSS items, selecting 12 items based on their item-total correlation within the original conceptual clusters. A subsequent PCA on the 12 NSSS-S items revealed that they loaded highly (>.58) onto a single, unitary factor, supporting its use as an efficient, global measure of sexual satisfaction.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale (Psychometric measure)

Format: 5-point Likert scale (1 = Not at all Satisfied to 5 = Extremely Satisfied)

Language Available: Croatian, English (U.S.)

Population Group: Non-specific (Universal tool for assessing sexual satisfaction)

Age Group: Adults (18–55 years in validation samples)

Population Details: Validated across seven independent samples (N > 2,000) including college students, community members, sex therapy clients (clinical sample), and nonheterosexual individuals.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their satisfaction with specific aspects of their sex life over the preceding six months. The full scale (NSSS) contains 20 items and takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. The short form (NSSS-S) contains 12 items.

Keywords

Psychological assessment, Sexual functioning, Sex research, Scale development, Cross-cultural validation, Clinical assessment, Sexual disorder, Likert scale

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source.

Correspondence Address: Aleksandar Štulhofer and Vesna Buško (University of Zagreb); Pamela Brouillard (Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions/Fees: Information regarding formal permissions and fees for use is not provided in the source content.

Test Year: The scale development and validation were reported in an article accepted for publication (Štulhofer, Buško, & Brouillard, in press) following research conducted around 2007–2010 (based on internal citations).

References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.

• Štulhofer, A., Buško, V., & Brouillard, P. (in press). Development and bi-cultural validation of the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale. The Journal of Sex Research.

• Štulhofer, A., Buško, V., & Landripet, I. (2010). Pornography, sexual socialization, and satisfaction among young men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 168–178.

• Štulhofer, A., Landripet, I., Momčilović, A., Matko, V., Kladarić, P. G., & Buško, V. (2007). Pornography and sexual satisfaction in young women and men. In S. V. Knudsen, L. Lofgren-Martenson, & S. A. Mansson (Eds.), Generation P? Youth, gender and pornography (pp. 66–84). Copenhagen: Danish University Press.

• Watt, J. D., & Ewing, J. E. (1996). Toward the development and validation of a measure of sexual boredom. The Journal of Sex Research, 33, 57–66.

Items of the The New Sexual Satisfaction Scale and Its Short Form

Thinking about your sex life during the last six months, please rate your satisfaction with the following aspects:

• Ego-Centered Subscale (Items 1–10)

  • 1. The intensity of my sexual arousal

  • 2. The quality of my orgasms (NSSS-S item)

  • 3. My “letting go” and surrender to sexual pleasure during sex (NSSS-S item)

  • 4. My focus/concentration during sexual activity

  • 5. The way I sexually react to my partner (NSSS-S item)

  • 6. My body’s sexual functioning (NSSS-S item)

  • 7. My emotional opening up in sex

  • 8. My mood after sexual activity (NSSS-S item)

  • 9. The frequency of my orgasms

  • 10. The pleasure I provide to my partner (NSSS-S item)

• Partner and Activity-Centered Subscale (Items 11–20)

  • 11. The balance between what I give and receive in sex (NSSS-S item)

  • 12. My partner’s emotional opening up during sex (NSSS-S item)

  • 13. My partner’s initiation of sexual activity

  • 14. My partner’s ability to orgasm (NSSS-S item)

  • 15. My partner’s surrender to sexual pleasure (“letting go”)

  • 16. The way my partner takes care of my sexual needs

  • 17. My partner’s sexual creativity (NSSS-S item)

  • 18. My partner’s sexual availability

  • 19. The variety of my sexual activities (NSSS-S item)

  • 20. The frequency of my sexual activity (NSSS-S item)

Responses are anchored on the following 5-point scale: 1 = Not at all Satisfied, 2 = A Little Satisfied, 3 = Moderately Satisfied, 4 = Very Satisfied, 5 = Extremely Satisfied.