Women's Scores on the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES): Gender Similarities and Differences

Abstract

The Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) assess individual propensities to become sexually aroused and to inhibit arousal. Prior analyses of men's SIS/SES data (Janssen, Vorst, Finn, & Bancroft, 2002a) yielded one excitation factor (SES) and two inhibitory factors (SIS1/Threat of Performance Failure and SIS2/Threat of Performance Consequences). The current study utilized a dataset of 2,045 undergraduates (1,067 women and 978 men) to examine the psychometric properties of women's SIS/SES scores.

 Women scored higher on sexual inhibition and lower on sexual excitation compared with men. The convergent/discriminant validity of women's SIS/SES scores globally resembled men's, but showed stronger associations with other sexuality − related measures and less pronounced relationships with measures of general behavioral approach/avoidance. The test–retest reliability of men's and women's SIS/SES scores were similar, but individual items exhibited differential relevance to men's and women's arousal. An exploratory factor analysis of women's scores was utilized to further examine shared and unshared themes.

Notes

Note

^a p ≤ 0.01

^b p ≤ 0.001

Note: χ² = Model chi square; CFI = Bentler comparative fit index; SRMR = Standardized Root Mean Square Residual; NNFI = Tucker-Lewis Non-normed Fit Index; RMSEA = Steiger-Lind Root Mean Square Error of Approximation Index. (Better fit is reflected in higher coefficients [values approaching 1.0] for CFI and NNFI, and in smaller values [lower bound of zero] for SRMR and RMSEA.)

Note: χ² = Model chi square; CFI = Bentler Comparative Fit Index; NNFI = Bentler–Bonnett Non-normed Fit Index; RMSEA = Steiger-Lind Root Mean Square Error of Approximation Index. (Better fit is reflected in higher coefficients [values approaching 1.0] for the CFI and NNFI, and in smaller values [lower bound of zero] for χ²/df ratios and RMSEA.)

Note

^a p ≤ .001. SES = Sexual Excitation, SIS1 = Sexual Inhibition-1, SIS2 = Sexual Inhibition-2

Note

^a p ≤ .001

^b p ≤ .01

^c p ≤ .05

^d Factor mean for women minus factor mean for men. (SES = Sexual Excitation, SIS1 = Sexual Inhibition-1, SIS2 = Sexual Inhibition-2

Note

^b p ≤ .01, Holm's sequential Bonferroni procedure (Holm, 1979). SES = Sexual Excitation, SIS1 = Sexual Inhibition-1, SIS2 = Sexual Inhibition-2. (Women: N = 141 for all measures except SDSR-5 [N = 1040]. Men: N = 531 for all measures except SDSR-5 [N = 971])

¹Janssen and colleagues (2002a) reported that the correlation between sexual excitation and neuroticism was − .22. This involves a typo. The correlation was + .22, which is identical to the one found for men in the current study.