Virginity Beliefs Scale

Abstract

The Virginity Beliefs Scale (VBS), developed by Jonas Eriksson and Terry P. Humphreys, is a 22-item psychometric instrument designed to assess individuals’ beliefs and underlying motivations related to their first experience of sexual intercourse. The scale is theoretically grounded in Carpenter’s (2002) qualitative study of virginity loss, which proposed that individuals perceive this event through three primary frameworks: as a Gift, a Stigma, or a Process.

These three subscales measure distinct psychological orientations toward sexual debut, influencing subsequent sexual development and behavior, such as partner selection and general sexual permissiveness. The VBS provides separate mean scores for each of these belief systems, allowing for nuanced analysis of an individual’s first sexual experience.

Keywords

Virginity Beliefs Scale, VBS, virginity loss, gift, stigma, process, sexual development, first intercourse, Likert-type scale, sexual attitudes, Reliability, Validity.

Authors

Jonas Eriksson, Terry P. Humphreys.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the Virginity Beliefs Scale (VBS) is to quantitatively measure the motivational and interpretive frameworks that shape an individual’s psychological experience of losing their virginity. It operationalizes Carpenter’s (2002) theoretical model by identifying whether the individual conceptualized this event fundamentally as a valuable gift to a partner, an embarrassing stigma to be eliminated, or a normative process of developmental maturity.

By assessing these core beliefs, the VBS serves as a predictive tool for researchers, enabling a better understanding of variations in subsequent sexual behavior, long-term relationship choices, and overall sexual health attitudes following the first experience of sexual intercourse. This framework is particularly useful in studies concerning developmental psychology, sociology, and human sexuality.

Construct

The VBS measures three distinct, yet related, psychological constructs regarding virginity loss, derived from the qualitative findings of Carpenter (2002). These constructs are assessed via three separate subscales:

• Virginity as a Gift: This construct reflects the belief that virginity is a valuable possession, often associated with purity, commitment, and spiritual significance. Individuals scoring highly on this subscale tend to approach sexual debut with careful planning, prioritizing love, commitment, and relationship improvement. This view is often compatible with traditional or religious conceptions of sexuality.

• Virginity as a Stigma: This construct reflects feelings of embarrassment, anxiety, or burden associated with maintaining virginity status. Individuals perceive virginity as a negative characteristic that must be shed quickly. High scores are associated with choosing a first partner based on opportunity rather than commitment, and often correlate with more permissive sexual attitudes and adherence to traditional masculine gender roles.

• Virginity as a Process: This construct views virginity loss as a natural, inevitable, and important developmental milestone—a normative step in the transition from adolescence to becoming an adult. Individuals endorsing this perspective tend to hold beliefs that place them intermediately between the Gift and Stigma groups in terms of sexual permissiveness and adherence to traditional gender roles.

Validity

The criterion-related and convergent Validity of the VBS subscales was established through correlational analyses with established measures of sexual attitudes and gender roles among a sample of undergraduates (Eriksson & Humphreys, 2009).

The Gift Subscale showed strong evidence of validity, aligning with expectations of traditional sexual behavior. High Gift scores correlated significantly with having fewer lifetime sexual partners (r(243) = −.267, p < .001), lower levels of sexual permissiveness (as measured by the Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale; r(243) = −.495, p < .001), and greater involvement in religious activities (r(242) = .144, p = .025). This supports the theoretical link between the Gift framework and careful, commitment-focused sexual debut.

The Stigma Subscale demonstrated validity through its association with traditional and hyper-gendered beliefs. High Stigma scores correlated positively with adherence to hypergender beliefs, measured by the Hypergender Ideology Scale (HIS; r(243) = .356, p < .001), and negatively with the Double Standard Scale (DSS; r(243) = −.316, p < .001). Furthermore, Stigma scores were positively and significantly associated with greater sexual permissiveness (r(243) = .436, p < .001), supporting the idea that this frame is closely tied to traditional masculine norms emphasizing sexual readiness.

The Process Subscale showed moderate but significant relationships with gender role measures, including the HIS (r(243) = .190, p < .003) and the DSS (r(243) = −.183, p = .004). Behaviorally, Process individuals exhibited more permissive beliefs than Gift individuals, yet less permissive beliefs than Stigma individuals (r(243) = .266, p < .001), confirming its conceptual position as a transitional framework.

Reliability

Internal consistency estimates for the Virginity Beliefs Scale were calculated using Cronbach’s Alpha in the initial validation sample (N = 243) of undergraduates from a university in Ontario, Canada (Eriksson & Humphreys, 2009). The subscales demonstrated high levels of internal Reliability, indicating that the items within each factor measure their respective constructs cohesively:

• Gift Subscale: α = .89

• Stigma Subscale: α = .92

• Process Subscale: α = .80

The strong alpha coefficients suggest that the VBS is a highly consistent measure for assessing the three proposed belief frameworks regarding virginity loss.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the Virginity Beliefs Scale is based on a three-factor model, corresponding directly to the theoretical constructs derived from Carpenter’s (2002) qualitative study: Gift, Stigma, and Process. The scoring methodology explicitly treats the 22 items as loading onto these three independent dimensions.

Items 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 constitute the Gift factor. Items 1, 6, 8, 11, 15, 17, 19, and 21 constitute the Stigma factor. Items 4, 9, 13, and 22 constitute the Process factor. This clear, predefined factor structure confirms that beliefs surrounding virginity loss are multidimensional, reflecting distinct psychological orientations.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale (Quantitative)

Format: Paper-and-pencil or online survey administration.

Language Available: English (Original development language).

Population Group: Individuals who have engaged in first sexual intercourse (i.e., experienced virginity loss).

Age Group: Developed and validated primarily on college-age young adults and undergraduates.

Population Details: Initial validation sample consisted of 243 students from a small university in Ontario, Canada.

Test Methodology: The scale consists of 22 items rated using a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). The VBS requires approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Keywords

Virginity Beliefs Scale, VBS, sexual attitudes, gender roles, commitment, sexual debut, Gift subscale, Stigma subscale, Process subscale, Psychometrics, Quantitative research.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Terry P. Humphreys, Psychology Department, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, K9J 7B8.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Permission to use the Virginity Beliefs Scale may be obtained directly from the corresponding author, T. Humphreys.

Fee: Not specified in the source material.

Test Year: Initial development and validation were reported in 2009 (Eriksson & Humphreys, 2009).

Reference’s

Caron, S. L., Davis, C. M., Halteman, W. A., & Stickle, M. (1993). Predictors of condom-related behaviors among first-year college students. The Journal of Sex Research, 30, 252–259.

Carpenter, L. M. (2002). Gender and the meaning and experience of virginity loss in the contemporary United States. Gender and Society, 16, 345–365.

Eriksson, J., & Humphreys, T. (2009). [Reliability and validity of the Virginity Beliefs Scale]. Unpublished raw data.

Hamburger, M. E., Hogben, M., McGowan, S., & Dawson, L. J. (1996). Assessing hypergender ideologies: Development and initial validation of a gender-neutral measure of adherence to extreme gender-role beliefs. Journal of Research in Personality, 30, 157–178.

Hendrick, C., Hendrick, S. S., & Reich, D. A. (2006). The Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale. The Journal of Sex Research, 43, 76–86.

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Items of the Virginity Beliefs Scale

Instructions: Please think back to the first time you engaged in sexual intercourse. Indicate on the following scale how much you agree with each statement in regard to your first sexual intercourse experience.

• 1 = Strongly Disagree
• 2 = Disagree
• 3 = Somewhat Disagree
• 4 = Neutral
• 5 = Somewhat Agree
• 6 = Agree
• 7 = Strongly Agree

1. I actively tried to hide my status as a virgin. (Stigma)
2. I chose the person I lost my virginity to with care. (Gift)
3. I planned my first time carefully. (Gift)
4. I saw my virginity loss as a natural step in my development. (Process)
5. It was important to me that the circumstances under which I lost my virginity were perfect. (Gift)
6. I felt my virginity was a burden that I needed to get rid of as soon as possible. (Stigma)
7. It was important to me that my first time was romantic. (Gift)
8. I felt embarrassed over being a virgin. (Stigma)
9. I considered virginity loss to be an inevitable part of growing up. (Process)
10. I dated the person I lost my virginity to for a long time before we engaged in intercourse. (Gift)
11. I was worried about what others might think if they found out I was a virgin. (Stigma)
12. The reason I did not lose my virginity earlier was because I had not found the right partner. (Gift)
13. I felt that losing my virginity was an important step towards becoming a man/woman. (Process)
14. I believed I would stay in a relationship with the person I lost my virginity to for a long time. (Gift)
15. I lost my virginity later than I would have wanted. (Stigma)
16. I felt in love with the person I lost my virginity to. (Gift)
17. I regarded my virginity as something negative. (Stigma)
18. My virginity was a gift to my first partner. (Gift)
19. I was afraid my partner would find out I was a virgin. (Stigma)
20. I planned my virginity loss with my partner. (Gift)
21. I was afraid to tell my partner that I was a virgin. (Stigma)
22. I felt losing my virginity was a step in the transition between adolescence and becoming an adult. (Process)

Scoring Note: Items 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 form the Gift subscale (divided by 10). Items 1, 6, 8, 11, 15, 17, 19, and 21 form the Stigma subscale (divided by 8). Items 4, 9, 13, and 22 form the Process subscale (divided by 4). Mean scores range from 1 to 7.