Weighted Topics Measure of Family Sexual Communication

Abstract

The Weighted Topics Measure of Family Sexual Communication (WTM) is a psychological instrument developed by Terri D. Fisher to enable researchers to quickly and objectively quantify the amount of communication regarding sexuality that transpires between parents and their adolescent children. The scale utilizes a combined measurement approach, integrating the objective count of topics discussed with a subjective assessment of the extent or depth of those discussions.

The measure consists of nine specific sexual topics that respondents (adolescents or parents) rate using a 5-point scale, where 0 corresponds to None and 4 corresponds to A Lot. Possible scores range from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating a greater frequency and depth of communication within the family unit. Adolescents are typically asked to provide separate reports detailing communication with their mother and their father.

Keywords

Family communication, Sexual communication, Adolescent development, Parent-child relationships, Psychometrics, Sex education, WTM, Communication assessment

Authors

Terri D. Fisher

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Weighted Topics Measure (WTM) is to provide researchers with an efficient, reliable, and standardized tool for assessing the quantity and perceived depth of discussions concerning sexuality that occur between parents and their adolescent offspring. This measure addresses a critical need in developmental and sexual health research by providing a systematic metric for this often sensitive area of family interaction.

The WTM is designed to overcome limitations found in purely objective or purely subjective measures by combining both elements. It records the breadth of topics covered (objective) and the perceived intensity or extent of the discussion surrounding each topic (subjective), offering a comprehensive score of the overall communication climate regarding sex.

Construct

The WTM measures the construct of Family Sexual Communication. This construct is defined as the frequency and extent to which specific sexual topics are actively addressed and discussed between parents (mother and/or father) and their adolescent children. The scale captures two essential dimensions of this communication:

• Topic Breadth: The range and number of distinct sexual topics included in family discussions.
• Discussion Depth (Weight): The perceived extent of the discussion about each topic, rated on a continuum from none to a lot.

The resulting total score reflects the volume and perceived quality of shared communication regarding sexuality within the family setting, which has been shown to correlate with adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors (Fisher, 1986, 1987, 1988).

Validity

The validity of the WTM has been supported through multiple studies, demonstrating its correlation with broader measures of family interaction and its independence from response biases. A comprehensive validity study conducted by Fisher (1993) on college students (ages 18–25) found that the WTM was significantly correlated with general family communication, specifically the Openness in Family Communication subscale of Olson and Barnes’ Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (Olson et al., 1982).

Correlation coefficients ranged from .28 (based on fathers’ reports) to a high of .53 (based on sons’ reports regarding communication with their mothers). Crucially, the WTM demonstrated good discriminant validity by showing no significant correlation with a measure of social desirability responding (Strahan & Gerbasi, 1972). Although some correlation coefficients were attenuated by the use of stringent Bonferroni corrections, the WTM generally emerged as the strongest among the nine sexual communication measures compared in the study.

Further concurrent validity was established by Zamboni and Silver (2009), who compared the WTM with the Family Sex Communication Quotient (FSCQ; Warren & Neer, 1986). The WTM reports regarding communication with mothers correlated highly (.64) with the FSCQ comfort subscale. Correlations for communication with fathers ranged from .40 to .44. Zamboni and Silver concluded that both instruments possess strong psychometric properties, supporting the WTM’s use in assessing family sexual communication.

Reliability

The WTM consistently demonstrates strong internal consistency across diverse samples of parents and young adults. In Fisher’s 1993 study of unmarried college students (N=363), the Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients were exceptionally high for all reporting dyads:

• Males reporting on mothers: .89
• Males reporting on fathers: .91
• Females reporting on mothers: .90
• Females reporting on fathers: .91

Reliability scores were equally robust when measured from the parental perspective: mothers (N=336) yielded a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .87, and fathers (N=233) reported .89. More recently, a study by Clawson & Reese-Weber (2003) involving college students aged 18–21 reported overall reliability coefficients of .91 for communication with fathers and .88 for communication with mothers, confirming the instrument’s stability and homogeneous nature.

Factor Analysis

The existing literature regarding the WTM, as presented in the source content, does not detail specific results from exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis. However, the consistent finding of high internal consistency coefficients (ranging from .87 to .91) strongly suggests that the nine items of the WTM measure a single, dominant, and unified construct—the overall extent of Family Sexual Communication. The instrument’s scoring method, which involves simply summing the weights for each topic, is consistent with a unidimensional scale structure.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Quantitative communication assessment

Format: Nine items scored on a 5-point Likert-type scale (0=None to 4=A Lot). Total scores range from 0 to 36.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Parents (Mothers and Fathers) and their adolescent/young adult children.

Age Group: Adolescents and Young Adults (Studies typically utilized individuals aged 18–25).

Population Details: The WTM has been validated using samples of unmarried college students and corresponding reports from their parents.

Test Methodology: The measure is highly efficient, requiring respondents to indicate the extent of communication for each topic quickly. It takes no more than 2 to 3 minutes to complete. Scoring is achieved by adding the weights (ratings) assigned to each topic.

Keywords

Sexual attitude correlation, Parent-adolescent communication, Terri D. Fisher, WTM, Internal consistency, Psychometric scale, Family dynamics, Social desirability

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Terri D. Fisher, The Ohio State University at Mansfield, 1760 University Drive, Mansfield, OH 44906

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The WTM was developed by Terri D. Fisher, with key psychometric data published in 1993 (Fisher, 1993). The measure has been widely used in academic research to study predictors of sexual attitudes and behaviors. Specific information regarding current licensing fees or formal permissions for commercial use is not detailed in the source material. Researchers seeking usage permission should contact the corresponding author, Terri D. Fisher, directly.

Reference’s

• Clawson, C. L., & Reese-Weber, M. (2003). The amount and timing of parent-adolescent sexual communication as predictors of late adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviors. The Journal of Sex Research, 40, 256–265.
• Fisher, T. D. (1986). An exploratory study of parent-child communication about sex and the sexual attitudes of early, middle, and late adolescents. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 147, 543–557.
• Fisher, T. D. (1987). Family communication and the sexual behavior and attitudes of college students. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 16, 581–595.
• Fisher, T. D. (1988). The relationship between parent-child communication about sexuality and college students’ sexual behavior and attitudes as a function of parental proximity. The Journal of Sex Research, 24, 305–311.
• Fisher, T. D. (1990). Characteristics of mothers and fathers who talk to their adolescent children about sexuality. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 3, 53–70.
• Fisher, T. D. (1993). A comparison of various measures of family sexual communication: Psychometric properties, validity, and behavioral correlates. The Journal of Sex Research, 30, 229–238.
• Olson, D. H., McCubbin, H. I., Barnes, H., Larsen, A., Muxen, M., & Wilson, M. (1982). Family inventories. St. Paul: University of Minnesota.
• Strahan, R., & Gerbasi, K. C. (1972). Short, homogeneous versions of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, 191–193.
• Warren, C., & Neer, M. (1986). Family sex communication orientation. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 14, 86–107.
• Zamboni, B. D., & Silver, R. (2009). Family sex communication and the sexual desire, attitudes, and behavior of late adolescents. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 4, 58–78.

Items of the Weighted Topics Measure of Family Sexual Communication

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

Weighted Topics Measure of Family Sexual Communication Using a scale from 1 to 4 with 0 = None and 4 = A Lot, please indicate how much discussion you have had with your child about the following topics.

None 0 1 2 3 4 A Lot

• Pregnancy
• Fertilization
• Intercourse
• Menstruation
• Sexually Transmitted Disease [originally Venereal Disease]
• Birth Control
• Abortion
• Prostitution
• Homosexuality