Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale:

A Measure of Sexual-Esteem, Sexual-Depression, and Sexual-
Preoccupation
William E. Snell, Jr.
Southeast Missouri State University
Terri D. Fisher
The Ohio State University-Mansfield
Toni Schuh
Southeast Missouri State University

Running head: Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

Date: February 6, 2018

Portions of these data were presented at the 36th annual meeting of

the Southwestern Psychological Association, Dallas, Texas.
Requests for reprints and copies of the Sexuality Scale should be
sent to William E. Snell, Jr., Department of Psychology, Southeast
Missouri State University, One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau,
Missouri 63701.
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

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Abstract
The Sexuality Scale (SS; Snell & Papini, 1989) was designed to measure
sexual-esteem, the dispositional tendency to positively evaluate one's
capacity to relate sexually to others, sexual-depression, the chronic
tendency to feel depressed about the sexual aspects of one's life, and
sexual-preoccupation, the persistent tendency to be absorbed with and
obsessed with sexual matters. The purpose of the present research was
to provide evidence from two separate studies for the reliability and
validity of the Sexuality Scale. The results indicated that all three SS
subscales had high reliability (both test-retest and internal consistency).
Other findings indicated that the dispositional sexual tendencies
measured by the Sexuality Scale were related in predictable ways to
men's and women's reports of their sexual behaviors and attitudes.
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

3
Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale:
A Measure of Sexual-Esteem, Sexual-Depression, and Sexual-
Preoccupation
The literature on human sexuality includes a focus on individual
tendencies associated with sexual behaviors, thoughts, and affects
(Allgeier & Allgeier, 1988). Snell and Papini (1989) have pursued a
similar line of research with a focus on "positive, desirable" psychological
tendencies associated with human sexuality. For this purpose, they
developed the Sexuality Scale, an objective self-report instrument
designed to measure sexual-esteem, the dispositional tendency to
positively evaluate one's capacity to sexually relate to another individual,
sexual-preoccupation, the tendency to be obsessed with sexual matters,
and sexual-depression, the tendency to feel sad and depressed about
the sexual aspects of one's life. The results from Snell and Papini's
(1989) initial investigation revealed considerable similarity between
men's and women's sexual-esteem tendencies, while also indicating that
among both males and females sexual-esteem was negatively related to
the tendency to feel depressed about the sexual aspects of life.
The present investigation was conducted in order to provide
additional evidence for the reliability and validity of Snell and Papini's
measure of sexual-esteem, sexual-depression, and sexual-
preoccupation. This was accomplished by examining the relationship
between the Sexuality Scale and people's sexual attitudes (Hendrick &
Hendrick, 1987; Hendrick, Hendrick, Slapion-Foote, & Foote, 1985), their
communal and exchange approaches to sexual relations (Hughes &
Snell, 1990), their chronic empathy toward AIDS victims (Snell & Finney,
1990), and their use of AIDS discussion strategies (Snell & Finney, in
press). In addition, the test-retest and internal reliability of the Sexuality
Scale were evaluated in the present investigation.
Several types of convergent validity information were expected for
Sexuality Scale. First, it was anticipated that people with greater sexual-
esteem would be less likely to endorse manipulative attitudes toward sex
and more likely to believe in idealized sex, as measured by Hendrick and
Hendrick's (1987) measure of sexual attitudes. In addition, the
relationship between the Sexuality Scale and people's approach to their
sexual relations was investigated. Hughes and Snell (1990) have argued
that people may approach sex from either a communal orientation, which
emphasizes interpersonal concern and mutual caring, or an exchange
orientation, where sex is treated as a commodity to be traded and
monitored. It was anticipated that people with greater sexual-esteem
would approach their sexual relations from a communal rather than an
exchange perspective. Discriminant validity for the measure of sexual-
esteem would be established at least partially by demonstrating the
independence of sexual-esteem scores from a measure of empathy for
AIDS-afflicted individuals.
The convergent validity of the sexual-depression subscale was also
examined by studying the relationship between this subscale and a
measure of AIDS discussion strategies. Snell and Finney (in press)
found that people use a variety of interpersonal techniques to persuade
an intimate partner to discuss AIDS. These included rational (e.g., using
reason), manipulative (e.g., doing some fast talking), withdrawal (e.g.,
refraining from sexual contact), charm (e.g., being especially sweet,
charming and pleasant), subtlety (e.g., dropping subtle hints), and
persistence (e.g., continuing to try to discuss AIDS) strategies. Because
sexual-depression is concerned with the tendency to feel negative, sad,
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

4
and depressed about the sexual aspects of oneself, it was expected that
people with greater sexual-depression would be more likely to use
manipulative, withdrawal, and charm types of strategies to persuade their
partners to discuss sex. In addition, it was anticipated that sexual-
depression would be associated with a less interpersonal and a more
indirect approach to sexual relations (i.e., with an exchange approach).
Evidence for the discriminant validity of the sexual-depression subscale,
by contrast, should be demonstrated by showing that it is independent of
people's sexual attitudes about responsible as well as casual, guilt-free
sex (cf. Fisher & Hall, 1988).
Preliminary evidence for the validity of the measure of sexual-
preoccupation was also examined in the present investigation. Since
individuals who are preoccupied with sex should have a less than
realistic attitude toward sexual relations in which they fantasize about
care-free, casual, and highly interpersonal sex, it was anticipated that the
sexual-preoccupation subscale would be positively correlated with
attitudinal measures reflecting a belief in idealized and casual guilt-free
sex, as well as with scores reflecting a communal approach to sexual
relations. By comparison, the discriminant validity of this subscale would
be partially established by showing that sexual-preoccupation is
independent of scores on a measure of empathy for AIDS victims (Snell
& Finney, 1990), since this SS subscale was designed to measure
obsessive cognitive tendencies associated with sex, not empathy for
those afflicted with AIDS.
Method
Subjects
Undergraduate males and females at a small Missouri university
were asked to volunteer to participate in a survey project concerned with
human sexuality (117 males; 265 females; 4 gender-unspecified). The
number of subjects occasionally varies in the following analyses due to
missing data on a few items.
Procedure and Measures
All subjects initially completed an informed consent sheet and then
after responding to the Sexuality Scale completed the instruments
described below. Approximately four weeks later the subjects completed
an abbreviated version of the measures of sexual-esteem, sexual
depression, and sexual-preoccupation. At the end of second testing all
subjects were completely debriefed about the purpose of the
investigation.
1. The Sexual Relationship Scale (SRS; Hughes & Snell, 1990)
was designed to measure a communal approach to sexual relations,
defined as being concerned with relating sexually to another person
based on mutual caring and concern for the other's sexual satisfaction
and based on a concern for that person's sexual needs and desires; and
an exchange approach to sex, defined as one that involves a quid pro
quo approach to sex where sexual partners keep "tabs" on the sexual
activities and favors they do for their partner, expecting to be repaid in an
exchange fashion at some future time in the relationship. Higher scores
corresponded to greater communal and exchange approaches,
respectively, toward sex.
2. The Sexual Attitudes Scale (Hendrick & Hendrick, 1987) is a
new multidimensional measure of the following sexual attitudes (Bailey,
Hendrick, & Hendrick, 1987): permissiveness, defined as a belief in
casual, guilt-free sex (e.g., casual sex is acceptable); sexual practices,
defined as a belief in responsible but nonjudgmental sex (e.g., birth
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

5
control is part of responsible sexuality); communion, defined as a belief
in idealized sex (e.g., at its best, sex seems to be the merging of two
souls); and instrumentality, defined as a belief in manipulative sex (e.g.,
the main purpose of sex is to enjoy oneself). Higher scores indicated
greater agreement with each attitude.
3. The AIDS Discussion Strategy Scale (ADSS; Snell & Finney, in
press) was designed to measure six specific types of discussion tactics
that people can use to persuade a partner to discuss AIDS: rational
strategies, defined as straightforward, reasonable attempts to discuss
AIDS in a forthright manner; manipulative strategies, defined as
deceptive and indirect efforts to persuade an intimate partner to engage
in conversation about AIDS; withdrawal strategies, defined as attempts to
actually avoid any extended interpersonal contact with an intimate
partner until this individual agrees to a discussion about AIDS; charm
strategies, defined as acting in pleasant and charming ways toward an
intimate partner in order to promote a discussion about AIDS; subtlety
strategies, defined as involving the use of hinting and subtle suggestions
in order to elicit a conversation about AIDS; and persistence strategies,
defined as persistent and continuous attempts to try to influence an
intimate partner to discuss AIDS. Higher scores indicated greater
potential use of the particular types of AIDS discussion strategies.
4. The AIDS Empathy Scale (AES; Snell & Finney, 1990) was
designed to measure the extent to which people report feeling empathy
for those afflicted with AIDS. Higher scores correspond to AIDS
empathy, the tendency to adopt the perspective of those with AIDS, to
feel sympathetic with their plight, and to feel concern and compassion for
their affliction.
Results and Discussion
Correlational analyses were conducted to determine whether men's
and women's scores on the Sexuality Scale would be related in
predictable ways to the measures of sexual attitudes, AIDS discussion
strategies, communal and exchange approaches to sex, and AIDS
empathy. Since a large number of correlation coefficients were
computed, a conservative error rate was chosen for use in the present
investigation; correlations were interpreted only if the probability level
was less than .01 (p < .01).
Cronbach Reliability. The Cronbach alpha coefficients are
presented in Table 1 for males and females separately and combined.
An inspection of this table indicates clear evidence for the reliability for
the sexual-esteem (range = .91 to .92), sexual-depression (range = .85
to .93), and sexual-preoccupation (range = .87 to .91) subscales.
__________________
Insert Table 1 about here
__________________
Test-Retest Reliability. Test-retest correlations were also computed
for all three SS subscales. The results provided clear preliminary
evidence of the stability for the sexual-esteem (range = .69 to .74),
sexual-depression (range = .67 to .76), and sexual-preoccupation (range
= .70 to .76) subscales (all ps < .001).
Subscale Intercorrelations. Table 1 also presents the subscale
correlations for the Sexuality Scale. This table shows that sexual-esteem
was strongly correlated in a negative direction with sexual-depression
among both women and men. Two other gender-specific correlations
were also statistically significant. Among women, sexual-preoccupation
was positively correlated with sexual-depression, whereas among men
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

6
sexual-preoccupation was positively correlated with sexual-esteem. No
other significant correlations were found.
Gender Effects. A two-group (females and males) MANOVA was
conducted on the three SS subscales to determine whether women and
men would report different levels of sexual-esteem, sexual-depression,
or sexual-preoccupation (see Table 1). The overall gender effect was
highly significant, Wilks' lambda = .91, F(3, 375) = 12.96, p < .001.
Univariate analyses revealed a significant gender effect for only the
sexual-preoccupation subscale, with males reporting higher levels of
sexual-preoccupation than females.This table also shows that males and
females were quite similar in sexual-depression, and that there was a
tendency for males to report greater sexual-esteem than females (p < .
10).
Sexual Attitude Correlates. The correlations between the Sexuality
Scale and the Sexual Attitudes Scale are presented in Table 2. The
results indicated that, as predicted, males with greater sexual-esteem
agreed with attitudes concerned with sexual sharing-involvement
(communion) and expressed disagreement with a manipulative, self-
centered view about sex (instrumentality). Sexually-depressed males, by
contrast, held more manipulative, self-interested (instrumental) attitudes
about sex. In addition, an inspection of Table 2 indicates that males who
reported being preoccupied with sex agreed with a sharing (communion)
and casual (permissive) perspective on sexual relations.
Table 2 also reveals that, as predicted, females with higher levels of
sexual-esteem expressed greater agreement with communal attitudes
about sexual relations (i.e., a sharing and involved perspective). In
addition, females who reported feeling depressed about the sexual
aspects of their lives were more likely to hold manipulative
(instrumentality) attitudes about sexual relations. Lastly, it can be seen in
this table that women's sexual-preoccupation tendencies were positively
correlated with all four attitudinal measures: permissiveness (casual,
guilt-free sex), sexual practices (responsible but nonjudgmental sex),
communion (sharing, idealized sex), and instrumentality (manipulative,
biological sex).
__________________
Insert Table 2 about here
_________________
AIDS Discussion Strategy Correlates. The correlations between
the Sexuality Scale and the AIDS Discussion Strategy Scale, presented
in Table 2, are consistent with the earlier predictions. As can be seen in
this table, males with greater sexual-depression were more likely to
indicate that they would use manipulation and charm to foster a
discussion about AIDS with a partner. Table 2 also shows that females
with greater sexual-depression scores indicated that they would be more
likely to use withdrawal and subtle types of social influence strategies to
discuss AIDS with a potential sexual partner. Sexually-preoccupied
women, by contrast, indicated that they would be likely to use
manipulative and charm strategies to start an intimate conversation
about AIDS.
Communal and Exchange Correlates. The correlations between
the Sexual Relationship Scale and the measures of sexual-esteem,
sexual-depression, and sexual-preoccupation tendencies are shown in
Table 2. The results indicated that, as predicted, both males and females
with higher levels of sexual-esteem were more likely to take a communal,
interpersonal approach to their sexual relationships, and that in addition
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

7
males with greater sexual-esteem were less likely to approach sex from
an "exchange" basis. Also, females who were more depressed about the
sexual aspects of their lives took a stronger exchange approach to their
sexual relations. In addition, sexually-obsessed males and females were
more likely to take an exchange approach to their sexual relations, and
sexually-preoccupied females were also more likely to take a communal
sexual approach.
AIDS Empathy Correlates. Other results indicated that the three
subscales on the Sexuality Scale were uncorrelated with the AIDS
Empathy Scale (see Table 2).
The purpose of the present investigation was to provide additional
evidence for the reliability and validity of the Sexuality Scale, a measure
of psychological tendencies associated with sexual-esteem, sexual-
depression, and sexual-preoccupation. The findings provided
preliminary evidence for the Sexuality Scale as a measure of these three
sexual tendencies by identifying predictable associations with measures
of sexual attitudes, interpersonal approaches to sexual relations, and
AIDS-related discussion strategies.
Study II:
Additional Evidence for
the Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Sexuality Scale
Although the first investigation reported in this article provided
evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the Sexuality Scale, still
there was a need to conduct further research that focused more closely
on this instrument's correlates with personality and other sexual-related
tendencies. For this purpose, a second study was conducted in which
the Sexuality Scale was administered to males and females along with
several personality instruments and other measures of sexual affects,
attitudes, and behaviors. This research provided not only the opportunity
to obtain additional evidence for the Sexuality Scale's validity, but also
the opportunity to cross-validate the reliability of the three subscales on
the Sexuality Scale. In addition, a second set of norms were also
obtained, thereby providing another examination of the relationship
between gender and the Sexuality Scale.
Method
Subjects
The Sexuality Scale was administered to undergraduate
psychology students (47 males and 126 females; 2 gender unspecified)
from a regional campus of The Ohio State University who volunteered to
participate in a study on human sexuality. The students averaged 22.06
years of age (SD = 7.39) and participated in the study as one option in
fulfilling a research requirement for a General Psychology course. After
participating in the project, all students were completely debriefed.
Procedure, Instruments, and Hypotheses
In addition to the Sexuality Scale, the participants in this second
study were asked to complete several other instruments that have been
previously established as having reliability and validity:
1. The Locus of Control Scale (LOC; Lefcourt, 1976, 1980;
Lefcourt, Miller, Ware, & Sherk, 1981) was designed to measure 1)
people's perceptions that they themselves control the events that
transpire in their lives (internal locus of control), 2) the belief that
powerful others exert control over one's life (powerful-other locus of
control), and 3) the belief that luck and chance explain the events in
peoples' lives (chance-luck locus of control).
2. The Self-Monitoring Scale (SMS; Snyder, 1974, 1979, 1987)
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

8
was designed to measure the tendency to be aware of one's social
surroundings and peoples' reactions to oneself and to modify the
impressions one creates in public settings. Higher scores on this scale
indicate greater self-monitoring tendencies.
3. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) measures the chronic
tendency to feel depressed about oneself (Beck, Ward, Mendelson,
Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961; Beck, 1976). Higher scores on this inventory
corresponded to greater chronic depression.
4. The Survey of Heterosexual Interaction (Leary & Dobbins,
1983) is a modification of the original SHI developed by Twentyman and
McFall (1975). In the updated form, subjects are asked to report how
nervous they would feel engaging in various heterosexual interactions.
Higher scores indicated greater heterosexual anxiety.
5. The Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS; Fisher, Byrne, White, &
Kelley, 1988) was designed to measure erotophilic (positive) versus
erotophobic (negative) emotional responses to sex.
6. The Sex-Guilt Scale (SGS; Mosher, 1966, 1973, 1979; Mosher
& O'Grady, 1979) was designed to measure people's tendency to feel
guilty about the sexual aspects of themselves (cf. D'Augelli & Cross,
1975; Gerrard, 1987).
7. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SE; Rosenberg, 1965) is a
10-item instrument designed to measure feelings of global self-worth.
8. The Sex Anxiety Scale was developed by Janda and O'Grady
(1980) to measure sex anxiety, defined as a generalized expectancy for
nonspecific external punishment for the violation of perceived normative
sexual standards (p. 169).
9. The Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ; Spence &
Helmreich, 1978) was designed to measure socially desirable
instrumental (e.g., can make decisions easily) and expressive personality
attributes (e.g., very warm in relations with others). Higher scoring
corresponded to greater instrumentality and expressiveness.
10. The Sexual Awareness Inventory (SAQ; Snell, Fisher, & Miller,
1990) was designed to assess attention to: internal private bodily
sensations associated with sexual arousal and motivation (referred to as
sexual-consciousness); external public concern with other's impressions
about one's sexuality (referred to as sexual-monitoring); and individual
alertness to others' perception that one is sexy (referred to as "sexiness"-
consciousness). In addition, it includes a subscale measuring sexual-
assertiveness, the dispositional tendency to act and behave in an
independent, self-reliant fashion concerning one's own sexuality.
Convergent Validity
The convergent validity of the sexual esteem subscale was
expected to be demonstrated by a series of negative correlations
between it and the measures of sex-guilt, sex-anxiety, chronic
depression and heterosexual-anxiety; and positive correlations between
it and the measures of self-esteem, instrumentality, sexual-
assertiveness, and sexual-awareness (all types). These predictions
were based on the notion that sexual-esteem provides people with a
positive approach to sex, accompanied by an outlook that precludes
feelings of sex-guilt, sex-anxiety, depression, and heterosexual-anxiety.
Likewise, evidence for the convergent validity of the sexual-
depression subscale would be supported by the demonstration of
positive relationships with clinical depression and heterosexual anxiety;
and a negative relationship with self-esteem. This prediction was based
on the notion that sexually depressed people have considerable global
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

9
depression and anxiety about their lives, and also feel less positive about
themselves (e.g., the syndrome assessed by the BDI includes aspects of
sexual-depression). Finally, the convergent validity of the sexual-
preoccupation subscale was examined in the present investigation.
Since persons who are sexual-preoccupied possess an extreme
obsession with the sexual aspects of their lives, these individuals should
report less sex-guilt and sex-anxiety, as well as greater erotophilia,
sexual-assertiveness, and sexual-awareness (all types).
Discriminant Validity
Because sexual-esteem concerns the tendency to have positive
self-regard about one's sexuality, the person high in sexual-esteem
should not be similar to individuals who tend to monitor themselves in
public settings, nor to individuals who perceive the events in their lives to
be controlled by chance-luck. Also, because sexual-depression deals
with the tendency to feel sad and depressed about the sexual aspects of
one's life, the more sexually-depressed individual ought not to resemble
people who monitor and moderate their public impressions. Finally,
since the sexual-preoccupation subscale assesses the tendency to be
obsessed about sex, it was expected that sexually-preoccupied
individuals would not bear a resemblance to people who possess
instrumental or expressive personality characteristics, nor to people who
view their lives as controlled by powerful others.
Results and Discussion
SS Reliability, Intercorrelations, and Norms
Cronbach alphas were computed for the three SS subscales
(separately for females and males). These measures of internal
consistency were all sufficiently high to warrant their use in subsequent
analyses (see Table 1): sexual-esteem (range = .91 to .91), sexual-
depression (range = .93 to .93), and for sexual-preoccupation (range = .
90 to .91). An inspection of Table 1 also indicates that sexual-esteem
and sexual-depression scores were strongly and negatively correlated.
Also, sexual-esteem correlated positively with sexual-preoccupation,
whereas sexual-depression scores were unrelated to the measure of
sexual-preoccupation.
A two-group (males and females) MANOVA was also conducted on
the three SS subscales. Table 1 presents the SS subscale means and
standard deviations. The overall multivariate effect was statistically
significant, Wilds' lambda = .91, F (3, 162) = 5.21, p < .002. An
inspection of this table reveals that males reported greater sexual-
esteem and sexual-preoccupation than did females. It can also be seen
that both males and females reported relatively low scores on the
measure of sexual-depression.
Convergent Validity
Additional evidence for the convergent validity of the SS was
tested by computing correlations between the SS and the instruments
described earlier. The results, presented in Table 3, are highly
supportive of the predictions.
__________________
Insert Table 3 about here
__________________
Sexual-Esteem. For males, sexual-esteem was positively
correlated with instrumental personality traits, self-monitoring, sexual-
assertiveness, and two of the dispositional measures of sexual-
awareness (i.e., sexual-consciousness and sexiness-consciousness).
Also, among males sexual-esteem was negatively associated with
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

10
heterosexual anxiety, sex-anxiety, and sex-guilt. By contrast, among
females sexual-esteem was positively correlated with expressive
personality attributes, self-esteem, sexual-assertiveness, and both
sexual-consciousness and sexiness-consciousness. Also, women's
scores on the measure of sexual-esteem were negatively correlated with
the measures of a chance-luck and a powerful-other locus of control, as
well as negatively correlated with the measures of heterosexual anxiety
and clinical depression.
Sexual-Depression. Among females and males significant
positive correlations were found between the sexual-depression subscale
and both heterosexual anxiety and clinical depression; and negative
correlations were found between sexual-depression and instrumental
personality attributes, sexual-assertiveness, and sexiness-
consciousness. For women, the sexual-depression scale was also
positively correlated with sex-anxiety and both a chance-luck and
powerful-other locus of control, as well as negatively correlated with the
measures of expressive personality attributes, self-esteem, and sexual-
consciousness.
Sexual-Preoccupation. Among both females and males, a
consistent pattern of positive correlations was found between sexual-
preoccupation and the measures of erotophilia, sexual-monitoring, and
sexual-assertiveness. Additional results indicated that among females
sexual-preoccupation was negatively correlated with sex-guilt and sex-
anxiety. By contrast males, sexual-preoccupation was positively
correlated with sexual-consciousness.
Discriminant Validity
Evidence for the discriminant validity of the SS would be
demonstrated, at least partially, by finding that the SS subscales were
independent of several other instruments. As can be seen in Table 3,
sexual-esteem was unrelated to self-monitoring (among females) and
locus of control tendencies (among males). Also it can be seen in this
table that, as expected, sexual-depression was independent of self-
monitoring. Finally, there was evidence for the discriminant validity of the
sexual-preoccupation scale in that this SS subscale was unrelated to the
measures of locus of control (males) and instrumental (females) and
expressive (females) personality characteristics.
The purpose of this second investigation was to provide further
evidence for the reliability and validity of the Sexuality Scale. Preliminary
evidence indicated that the subscales on the Sexuality Scale were all
highly reliable. The SS's validity was evaluated by examining its
relationship with a series of self-report instruments concerned with
personality and sexuality. The findings were consistent with the overall
pattern of predicted results. Both sexual-esteem and sexual-
preoccupation were more associated with a positive (e.g., sexual-
assertiveness) than a negative (e.g., sex-guilt, sex-anxiety) orientation
toward sex. By contrast, sexual-depression was accompanied by greater
anxiety and depression and less self-esteem and sexual-assertiveness.
These findings would seem to attest to the benefits of a chronically high
level of sexual-esteem and the drawbacks of greater dispositional
sexual-depression, while also suggesting that sexual-preoccupation may
coincide with a less negative outlook on sexual relations.
General Conclusions
The present two investigations offer strong preliminary evidence for
the reliability and validity of the Sexuality Scale as a measure of
dispositional tendencies associated with sexual-esteem, sexual-
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

11
depression, and sexual-preoccupation. Future research is now needed
to determine the social and developmental antecedents and
consequences of these sexual tendencies (e.g., Abbey, 1982). In
research currently underway in our own lab, we are examining the
relationship between the Sexuality Scale and the masculine role (cf.
Snell, 1986, 1991, Snell, Belk, & Hawkins, 1986a, 1986b, 1987, 1990;
Snell, Hawkins, & Belk, 1988), perceptions of rape victims (Schwarz &
Brank, 1983; Selby, Calhoun, & Brock, 1977; Shotland & Craig, 1988),
and women's and men's sexual disclosure tendencies (Snell, Belk,
Papini, & Clark, 1989).
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

12
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Table 1
Correlations, Reliabilities, and Means for the Sexuality Scale among
Males and Females in Samples I and II
_____________________________________________________
Sexuality Scale Sexual-Esteem Sexual-Depression Sexual-
Preoccupation

Sample I II I II I II
_____________________________________________________

SUBSCALE CORRELATIONS AND RELIABILITIES:

Sexual-Esteem:
Males [.91] [.91]
Females [.92] [.91]
Both [.92] [.91]
Sexual-Depression:
Males -.77d -.60d [.85] [.93]
Females -.67d -.71d [.88] [.93]
Both -.69a -.68d [.87] [.93]
Sexual-Preoccupation:
Males .19a .24+ -.05 .05 [.91] [.91]
Females .01 .31d .16c -.07 [.87] [.91]
Both .08+ .32d .09a -.05 [.89] [.91]
MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS:
Males 7.21 8.00 -7.40 -7.37 1.54 0.67
(7.77) (7.17) (7.45) (6.01) (8.35) (8.16)
Females 5.52 4.39 -7.22 -6.48 -4.36 -4.01
(8.68) (8.21) (8.62) (6.91) (8.89) (7.51)
F 3.23 6.87b < 1 <1 36.83d 12.32d
_____________________________________________________
Note. For the rs and alphas in Sample I (II), the combined n = 376-380
(167-170); n for women = 260-264 (120-123); and n for men = 115-116
(46). Reliability coefficients from Sample I and II are enclosed in
brackets. For the ANOVAs in Sample I (II), n for males = 116 (46); n for
females = 263 (120). Standard deviations are enclosed in parentheses.
Higher positive (negative) scores correspond to greater (less) sexual-
esteem, sexual-depression, and sexual-preoccupation. Subscale
ranges: sexual-esteem = -20 to 20; sexual-depression = -16 to 16; and
sexual-preoccupation = -20 to 20.
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

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+ p < .10. a p < .05.b p < .01. c p < .005. d p < .001.
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

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Table 2
Correlations between the Sexuality Scale and Several Validity Measures
_____________________________________________________
Sexuality Scale
Validity ___________________________
Sexual-Esteem Sexual-Depression Sexual-Preoccupation
Measures
Males Females Males Females Males Females
_____________________________________________________
SEXUAL ATTITUDES SCALE:
Instrumentality -.22b -.04 .24c .17c .14+ .27d
Permissiveness .03 .04 -.03 .14a .26c .21d
Communion .23b .17c -.16a -.12a .39d .21d
Sexual Practices .20a .03 -.21a -.00 .10 .20d
AIDS DISCUSSION SCALE:

Rational Strategies .01 .14a .03 -.09 -.06 .02

Manipulative Strategies -.12 -.12a .25c .11a .17a .15b
Withdrawal Strategies .02 -.14a .14+ .15b -.12 .01
Charm Strategies -.16a -.01 .24c .07 .07 .17c
Subtlety Strategies -.01 -.07 .14+ .16b .00 .11a

Persistence Strategies .08 .02 .10 .05 -.03 .04

AIDS EMPATHY SCALE: -.04 -.01 .11 .00 -.07 .00
SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP SCALE:
Communal Approach .23b .26d -.17a -.11a .16a .26d
Exchange Approach -.23b -.14a .20a .15b .29d .17c
_____________________________________________________
Note. N for women = 260-264; and n for men = 115-116. Higher
positive (negative) scores correspond to greater (less) sexual-esteem,
sexual-depression, and sexual-preoccupation. Higher scores on the
validity measures correspond to greater amounts of each of the
respective tendencies.
+ p < .10. a p < .05. b p < .01. c p < .005. d p < .001.
 Reliability and Validity of the Sexuality Scale

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Table 3
Correlations Between the Sexuality Scale and Several Additional Validity
Measures
______________________________________________________
Sexuality Scale
Additional ____________________________
Validity Sexual-Esteem Sexual-DepressionSexual-Preoccupation
Measures
Males Females Males Females Males Females
_______________________________________________________
PAQ: Instrumental .48d .21a -.37b -.22b .26a -.10

PAQ: Expressive .21 .23c -.01 -.24c .06 .03

LOC: Internal .05 .21a -.14 -.23a -.18 -.15a
LOC: Powerful-Other -.05 -.31d .33a .32d -.04 .11

LOC: Chance-Luck .04 -.24c .06 .22b -.19 .09

Self-Monitoring .37b .12 -.02 -.00 .33a .20a
Heterosexual Anxiety -.45d -.34d .46d .30d -.20 .12
Depression -.31a -.24c .54d .32d .14 -.00
Erotophilia .08 .10 .16 -.05 .53d .32d
Sex-Anxiety -.46c -.35d .22 .25b -.31a -.36d
Sex-Guilt -.36b -.20a .27a .08 -.31a -.22b

Self-Esteem .26a .24c -.31a -.29d -.05 -.02

Sexual-Consciousness .39c .45d -.26a -.41d .41c .19a
Sexual-Monitoring .28a .16a -.13 -.00 .41c .38d
Sexiness-Consciousness .59d .32d -.48d -.23b .30a -.01
Sexual-Assertiveness .65d .50d -.59d -.41d .40c .34d
______________________________________________________
Note. N for females = 102-122; n for males = 46. Higher positive
(negative) scores correspond to greater (less) sexual-esteem, sexual-
depression, and sexual-preoccupation. Higher scores on the validity
measures correspond to greater amounts of each of the respective
tendencies.
+ p < .10. a p < .05. b p < .01. c p < .005. d p < .001.