Further examination of measurement properties of Spanish version of the Sexual Desire Inventory with undergraduates and adolescent students

The factor structure and construct validity of a Spanish version of Spector, Carey, and Steinberg's Sexual Desire Inventory was examined with structural equation modelling and a nonclinical sample (N = 608). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that Dyadic and Solitary sexual desire scales measured two factorially distinct constructs. Their internal consistency reliabilities were .87 and .88, respectively. Structural equation analysis indicated that both subscales are distinguishable from similarly conceptualized correlates of sexual desire: the Impersonal subscale of the Sex Fantasy Questionnaire and the Erotophilia measure of the Sexual Opinion Survey. However, the data raised some questions about an empirical distinction between dyadic sexual desire and intimate sexual fantasy.     

Unconditioned sexual incentive motivation in the male Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Sexual incentive motivation was evaluated in a procedure consisting of a large open field where incentive animals were confined behind wire mesh openings. When sexually inexperienced male rats (Rattus norvegicus) were exposed to the receptive female-male incentives, they spent more time close to the female. If the incentives were receptive female-nonreceptive female, the receptive female was preferred. However, when the alternatives were nonreceptive female-male, no preference was obtained. Castration abolished preference for the receptive female, and treatment with testosterone propionate restored it. Estradiol plus oil is as efficient as estradiol plus progesterone for giving the ovariectomized female incentive properties. The living female can be replaced with female odor. Sexual experience did not have any long-term effects on the female's incentive value, but immediately preceding limited sexual activity enhanced it     

Multidimensionality of the content of female sexual fantasy

A Female Sexual Fantasy Questionnaire (FSFQ) was developed from factor analysis of ratings through which women indicated the erotic potency of fantasies depicting nominated sexual activities. Five dimensions of sexual fantasy (genital, sensual, sexual power, sexual suffering, forbidden sexual-activity themes) are assessed by FSFQ. The extent to which themes within FSFQ were rated as sexually arousing correlated with the levels of physiological response recorded by vaginal photoplethysmography while women engaged in fantasy employing these themes. Sexual fantasy as assessed by the FSFQ correlated only moderately with scores on measures of non-sexual cognition such as the Imaginal Processes Inventory and the Betts Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery, and women with high and low scores on FSFQ were not readily differentiated by biographic and demographic variables. Contexts in which the FSFQ can be used are discussed.     

An automated technique for the study of cyclic fluctuations in sexual motivation in an avian species

Diurnal fluctuations in sexual behavior occur in freely interacting pairs of male and female birds. These fluctuations are difficult to interpret because they may reflect fluctuations in the motivation of the male, the motivation of the female, or both. A method was developed to study the sexual motivation of male Japanese quail in response to a standard stimulus. Sexual behavior was elicited by a taxidermic model of a female quail in a squatting posture. Sensors beneath and in the back of the model served to detect when the male mounted and made cloacal contact with the model. The technique allowed continuous recording of male sexual behavior under standard conditions. When males were maintained on a photoperiod with lights on at 0600 h and off at 2200 h, sexual behavior peaked in the early afternoon, with a secondary peak just before lights-out.     

African American Adolescent Females' Perceptions of Neighborhood Safety, Familial Strategies, and Sexual Debut

Sexual debut represents a developmental transition that holds possibility for growth and for risk. Family and neighborhood may impact timing of debut. This qualitative study examined family strategies (e.g., moving, parental monitoring), perceptions of neighborhood, and attitudes about sex and sexual debut among sexually experienced and inexperienced African American adolescent females living in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods. Findings show that more familial strategies were reported by sexually inexperienced females, suggesting that strategies may delay sexual debut. Furthermore, experiences with neighborhood violence related to attitudes about sex and sexual debut, suggesting a linkage between death anxiety and sexual debut among female youth.     

Sex Role Orientation and Female Sexual Functioning

This study investigates the differences among women in four sex-role categories–Feminine, Masculine, Androgynous, and Undifferentiated–with regard to sexual behavior and attitudes. The sample consists of 300 undergraduate and graduate women enrolled in 27 classes during the spring of 1978. Four criterion instruments are used: (1) the Bern Sex Role Inventory , (2) the Sexual Arousability Inventory , (3) the Sexual Behavior Inventory, and (4) the Sexual Data Form. Eight null hypotheses are tested. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences (p ≦.05) on three of the eight comparisons. A post hoc analysis revealed the source of significance to be between Undifferentiated women and women in the other three sex-role categories on satisfaction with sexual responsivity and frequency of an orgasm with partner.     

Sociosexual Orientation and Sexual Behavior in Mexican Adults

Sociosexual orientation includes individual differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors, in relation to the extent in which an individual could be sexually active without affective bonds and commitment. Sociosexuality is related to sexual behavior and can speak to the differences between men and women in how they express their sexuality ( Simpson & Gangestad, 1991 ; Hebl & Casi, 1995 ; Ostovich & Sabini, 2004 ). This study explores sociosexual orientation and sexual behavior in Mexican adults, in order to identify differences in sociosexual orientation related to biological sex and relationship status. It also assesses the relationship between sociosexual orientation and sexual behavior and to predict sexual behavior from sociosexual orientation. The sample was composed of 209 Mexican adults between 19 and 61 years of age. Thirty‐seven percent were male, and 63% were female. Participants answered a standardized Spanish version of the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory ( Simpson & Gangestad, 1991 ) and a Sexual Behavior Inventory developed for the present project ( García Rodríguez, 2007 ). In general, there is great variability in the frequency of each of the sexual behaviors assessed and in the total number of sexual partners. Moreover, participants perceive themselves restricted in their sexual attitudes and behaviors. Men are more permissive and less restricted in attitudes and behaviors than women, and individuals who are dating informally have a higher behavioral sociosexual orientation than those who are living with their partner. Additionally, the higher sociosexuality, the more frequent sexual practices are and the higher the number of sexual partners. Finally, sociosexuality predicts the frequency of sexual practices and the number of lifetime sexual partners.     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SEXUAL SELF-CONCEPT INVENTORY FOR EARLY ADOLESCENT GIRLS

The Sexual Self-Concept Inventory (SSCI) was developed to assess sexual self-concept in an ethnically diverse sample of urban early adolescent girls. Three scales (Sexual Arousability, Sexual Agency, and Negative Sexual Affect) were shown to be distinct and reliable dimensions of girls' sexual self-concepts. Validity was established through comparisons with established instruments. Sexual Arousability and Sexual Agency were associated with positive sexual self- esteem, positive future orientation toward sex, intentions to engage in intercourse, and lower levels of sexual experience. Negative Sexual Affect was associated with stronger abstinence attitudes and lack of intentions or orientation toward sex in the near future. The results indicate that the SSCI constitutes a valid means of assessing early adolescent girls' views of their sexuality and sexual behavior and may be of use in studies of health and risk-related decision making.     

Adolescent sexuality and public policy

In recent decades, various attempts have been made to determine the level of sexual activity among adolescents. This information has been used in the planning and evaluation of sex-related programs. However, there is a flaw in using only the initial estimates of the behavior--that a sexually active person is defined as one who has had sexual intercourse. This narrow definition distorts the perception of adolescent sexual behavior. Sexual activity can more accurately be designated by focusing on the actual frequency with which teenagers have sex. In this research report, adolescents were considered sexually active if they had had sex within the last four weeks. Using this definition, adolescents were found to be substantially less sexually active than has been previously reported. This finding was then used to look at various policy decisions in the areas of sex education, family planning, and sexually transmitted disease prevention.     

Male sexual fantasy: multidimensionality in content

Sixty-six men provided ratings of the extent to which they regarded fantasies depicting nominated sexual activities as sexually arousing. A Male Sexual Fantasy Questionnaire (MSFQ) with five subscales was constructed following factor analysis of these ratings. The subscales yield separate scores for fantasies representing sensual, genital, public sex, sexual dominance-submission, and sexual aggression themes. Levels of penile tumescence recorded while men engaged in fantasies depicting content represented in the MSFQ correlated with the extent to which these men earlier had rated these same fantasies as sexually arousing. Since ratings on the MSFQ did not correlate substantially or consistently with scores on the Betts Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery, the Imaginal Processes Inventory, and the Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control, sexual fantasy may be mediated by processes different from those involved in non-sexual imagery and daydreaming. The need to validate use of the MSFQ in several clinical contexts is noted.     

Dissociation of sexual arousal and sexual proclivity in the garden snail, Helix aspersa

Sexual arousal (intensity of courtship) and sexual proclivity (tendency to court) in Helix aspersa can be reliably measured using externally observable correlates. Snails with sexual proclivity are significantly more likely to turn toward an anesthetized conspecific after contacting it than are sexually unreceptive snails. Sexual arousal can be inferred from the stage of a snail's genital eversion, which appears only during courtship. The higher the stage of the eversion, the shorter the time required to complete introductory courtship behavior and the higher the rate of successful copulation, the fewer the number of breaks and pauses during courtship, and the longer the time a snail will spend in contact with an anesthetized conspecific. Sexual proclivity has no effect on feeding or locomotory behavior; however, sexual arousal inhibits feeding and increases locomotor activity. Snails that were allowed daily contact with conspecifics required less time to complete introductory courtship behavior relative to snails that were isolated from conspecifics for 1 week. This suggests that daily contact increases sexual arousal. A greater percentage of isolated snails exhibited courtship behavior than did snails which had experienced daily conspecific contact. This suggests that isolation increases sexual proclivity. These differences indicate that sexual arousal is not merely due to an increase in sexual proclivity.     

The sexual sensation seeking scale: reliability and validity within a heterosexual college student sample

The Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale (SSSS; Kalichman & Rompa, 1995) is a measure of the propensity to seek out novel or risky sexual stimulation. This measure has been consistently related to HIV-risk behavior in several different samples of gay men and with behavioral correlates of sexual permissiveness in college students. Five hundred twenty-eight college students completed the SSSS and several other sexuality and personality measures. The results reveal significant gender differences on the SSSS and similar (although stronger among women) patterns of significant correlations with sexually permissive characteristics and behaviors. Furthermore, SSSS scores were more highly correlated with sexual measures, whereas a more general measure of sensation seeking was more highly correlated with general personality measures. We discuss implications for use of the SSSS by sexuality educators and sex therapists.     

Motivational factors in nonincarcerated sexually aggressive men

Research on convicted rapists has demonstrated the importance of several key motivational factors in male sexual aggression. In particular, anger at women and the need to dominate or control them have been repeatedly implicated. Although anger and power have also been shown to be important in understanding college men who report sexually aggressive behavior, there has been little research on what underlies these motives. This research combined questions assessing these underlying motivational factors, as well as questions dealing with underlying sexual motivation and disinhibition, with a slightly modified version of the Sexual Experiences Survey (Koss & Oros, 1982). In Study 1, subjects were 184 male undergraduates. Factor analysis of the questions composing the four scales yielded four slightly modified scales. Scales measuring underlying anger, underlying power, and disinhibition significantly differentiated sexually aggressive from nonaggressive men but did not distinguish between men who were coercive, manipulative, or nonaggressive. In a replication on a smaller sample (n = 70), underlying anger, underlying power, and disinhibition again differentiated sexually aggressive from nonaggressive men.     

Pain sensitivity and individual differences in self-reported sexual behavior

The relationship between sexual behavior and pain sensitivity was assessed in 27 heterosexual men and 20 heterosexual women. Sexual behavior measures included sexual motivation and ratings of subjective sexual arousal to and enjoyment of an auditory stimulus. Pain sensitivity measures were pain threshold and pain tolerance in a cold pressor task. Participants were tested after exposure to a neutral or a sexual audio stimulus. Exposure to the sexual stimulus increased pain sensitivity in women but not in men. However, sexual behavior measures were correlated with pain threshold for both men and women. Specifically, higher pain thresholds were associated with weaker sexual motivation, lower enjoyment potential for sexual interaction, and increased inhibition during intercourse. These results are consistent with findings in laboratory animals, suggesting that differences in sexual behavior may reflect differences in responsiveness to a variety of stimuli.     

Contextual conditioning and the control of copulatory behavior by species-specific sign stimuli in male Japanese quail

Three experiments were conducted to identify species-specific sign stimuli sufficient to elicit copulatory behavior in male Japanese quail and to determine how learning is involved in the control of behavior by these sign stimuli. In Experiment 1, sexually experienced subjects were tested for copulatory behavior with a live female quail and with a model consisting of a female quail's head and neck mounted in front of a foam pad. Comparable levels of copulatory behavior were observed in the two tests, indicating that static visual cues provided by a female quail's head and neck are sufficient to elicit copulatory behavior in this species. Experiment 2 showed that male birds that previously received numerous opportunities to copulate with a live female quail in the test situation were significantly more likely to copulate with the head + neck model than were sexually inexperienced subjects. Experiment 3 showed that prior sexual experience with live quail facilitated responding to the head + neck model only if the sexual experience was provided in the same place where subjects were later tested with the model. This last finding suggests that sexual experience facilitates control of copulatory behavior by species-specific sign stimuli through contextual conditioning. Contextual conditioning may lower the threshold for sexual behavior with the result that a stimulus as impoverished as an immobile model containing only the head and neck of a female quail becomes sufficient to elicit normal levels of copulatory behavior. The results are also discussed as an example of conditioned stimulus facilitation of responding to an unconditioned stimulus.     

Medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus and sexual motivation

The medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus (MPOA/AH) is a brain site derived from proliferative zones from the diencephalon and telencephalon. It is probably this characteristic that makes this brain region participate in different physiological and behavioral functions. The present review addresses the role of the MPOA/AH in the control of male sexual behavior. It is clear that the MPOA/AH is a crucial site in the control of sexual behavior in males of all species studied to date. But although many different publications have followed the contribution of Heimer and Larsson there is no agreement as to what is specifically the role of the MPOA/AH in sexual behavior. At least three hypotheses have been presented. The first one suggests that this brain region is involved in the consummatory aspects (execution) of sexual behavior. The second indicates that the MPOA/AH is involved in the appetitive components (motivation) of masculine sexual behavior. The third hypothesis considers that MPOA/AH neurons are involved in the regulation of consummatory and appetitive aspects of sexual behavior. From the literature reviewed, it will become evident that the evidence supporting a role of the MPOA/AH in the execution of sexual behavior is based on a number of limited studies not easy to interpret. On the other hand, several lines of evidence using a variety of methodologies support the notion that the MPOA/AH is involved in the motivational aspects of male sexual behavior.     

Television Use,Sexual Behavior,and Relationship Status at Last Oral Sex and Vaginal Intercourse

The current longitudinal study explores the relationship between adolescent television use at time 1 and sexual experience and relationship status (i.e., committed/romantic versus casual) 1 year later. The sample (N = 824) comprised youth aged 14–18. Multinomial logistic regressions predicting group membership from television exposure variables were conducted controlling for socio-demographic characteristics and prior sexual behavior. Results indicate that sexually inexperienced youth watched more television overall than sexually experienced youth, but less adult, premium and music television on cable networks. Premium cable exposure predicted group membership among sexually active youth. Youth who watched more premium cable at time 1 were more likely to be in casual relationship at last intercourse than a committed one. A more complete understanding of media effects on adolescent sexual relationships can help guide policy development, media education/literacy efforts, and contribute to the design of interventions to reduce the negative consequences associated with adolescent sexual behavior.     

Sexual harassment of university students

The sexual harassment of junior, senior, and graduate student women and men by male and female professors, graduate assistants, and staff was investigated to determine students' personal experiences in the classroom, outside the classroom, and in job-related settings. Usable survey responses were returned by 393 students, and incidents were detailed by 38 women and 9 men who noted their responses to the harassment and its effects. Attitudes toward and acceptance of sexually harassing behaviors were measured by a 10-item Tolerance for Sexual Harassment Inventory (TSHI). The frequency of initiation of sexual behaviors was also assessed. More women than men reported being sexually harassed. Male and female perceptions of classroom behaviors were in agreement for most items. Men and women differed significantly on the TSHI, with men more tolerant of sexual harassment than women, and highly significant age differences were found, indicating a greater acceptance of sexual harassment by younger students. There was little difference between male and female students in the frequency of their initiating sexual behaviors. The TSHI was assessed; reliability coefficients and a factor analysis are presented.This research was supported by a grant from the College of Arts and Sciences. We are grateful to Betty Jones and Joan Bentley for their secretarial assistance.     

Modulation of male mouse sniff, attack, and mount behaviors by estrous cycle-dependent urinary cues

Modulation of male urogenital sniff, attack, and mount behaviors by urinary cues from female mice (SJL/J) was assessed in two experiments. Experiment 1 examined the efficacy of urine from ovariectomized and intact females in modulating the behavior of sexually experienced and inexperienced males vis-à-vis the control substance, water. It was found that urine from ovariectomized females showed no behavior-modulating properties, whereas urine from intact females decreased attack but increased sniff and mount behaviors in male mice. These findings are indicative of ovarian-dependent chemosignals contained in the urine of only intact females. Prior sexual experience had no effect on behavior of males when exposed to urine from ovariectomized females. Sniff and mount behaviors were, however, increased when sexually experienced males were exposed to urine from intact females. Using sexually inexperienced males, Experiment 2 assessed the chemosignal activity of urine from females in each of four estrous phases. It was determined that urine from proestrous and estrous females increased sniff and mount behaviors and decreased attack behavior. Urine from metaestrous females was shown to possess only sniff-inducing and mount-reducing chemosignal properties. Urine from females in diestrous lacked attack- and mount-modulating chemocues but may possess a sniff-inducing chemosignal.