Brief Description:
• Kalichman, Johnson, Adair, Rompa, Multhauf & Kelly (1994)
• Originally created by Carnes in 1987 for clinical use in a 12-step program for individuals complaining of sexual control issues, issues managing sexual behaviour, and/or thoughts and individuals who thought they had a sex addiction.
• Aimed at measuring both hypersexuality and sexual preoccupation
• Widely used with at-risk populations
Versions:
• German
Type of Measure:
• Self-completed
• Ten statements
• Four point Likert scale
Target Population:
• Homosexual males, however has been used successfully with both heterosexual males and females
Scoring:
• 1 = not at all like me; 4 = very much like me
• Minimum score = 10; Maximum score = 40
• Scored by totalling the answers (numbers picked on the 4 point scale for each question were added) and dividing by the number of questions (computed from the sum of all items)
Psychometrics:
Source Reference: Kalichman, et. al. (1994): Three studies: 106 self-identified homosexual men; 296 gay men; 158 low income, inner-city men and women (mainly African American), Kalichman & Rompa (1995), kalichman & Rompa in dodge et. al (2004).
• Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89; gay men: alpha = 0.86; men and women: alpha = 0.87
• Test-retest (two weeks after initial) for study two was acceptable (r = 0.64)
• Validity: construct, convergent, divergent, and discriminate
• Two factors (hypersexuality, sexual preoccupation)
Dodge, Reece, Cole, & Sandfort (2004): 876 heterosexual college students
• Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha = 0.82
• Validity: construct
McBride, Reece, & Sanders (2008): 390 young adults (18 or older) from health classes at Midwestern University in the United States
• Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha = 0.79
• Validity: acceptable construct and criterion-related validity
Utility for Prevalence Surveys:
• Poor
• Limitations – no established cut-off points
Research Applicability:
• Useful in determining those at risk for HIV or other STI’s, especially when used in conjunction with the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale and/or the Nonsexual Experience Seeking Scale.
• Useful in predicting those individuals who are resistant to changing their sexual thoughts and behaviours.
• Useful in creating applicable and useful prevention programs and treatment programs.
Copyright, Cost, and Source Issues:
• Public domain (no cost) – scale is contained in source reference
Source References:
Kalichman, S. C., Johnson, J. R., Adair, V., Rompa, D., Multhauf, K., & Kelly, J. A. (1994). Sexual sensation seeking: Scale development and predicting AIDS-risk behaviour among homosexually active men. Journal of Personality Assessment, 62(3), 385-397.
Supporting References:
Dodge, B., Reece, M., Cole, S. L., & Sandfort, T. G. M. (2004). Sexual compulsivity among heterosexual college students. The Journal of Sex Research, 41(4), 343-350.
Kalichman, S. C., & Rompa, D. (1995). Sexual sensation seeking and sexual compulsivity scales: Reliability, validity, and predicting HIV risk behaviour. Journal of Personality Assessment, 65(3), 586-601.
McBride, K. R., Reece, M., & Sanders, S. A. (2008). Using the sexual compulsivity scale to predict outcomes of sexual behaviour in young adults. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 15, 97-115.
Strengths:
• Quick and easy to use
Weaknesses:
• More research looking at the SCS with diverse populations (i.e. Lesbians, transgender, bisexual etc.) is needed.
• It is unclear if the SCS captures other constructs beyond sexual compulsivity (i.e. sexual desire, sexual exploration).