TESTS, SCALES, AND OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS
The following are a list of psychometrically valid and reliable instruments. Links have been provided for some of these measures that are in the public domain or being used by permission. Interpretation of the scores and results of any tests used below should be done by a licensed mental health professional.
Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (PDF)
The Hypersexual Behavior Inventory is a 19-item self-report measure yielding 3 factors: Control, Coping, and Consequences. These three factors assess a respondent’s (1) control over sexual thoughts, urges, and behavior; (2) consequences associated with hypersexual behavior; and (3) the extent to which an individual uses sex to cope with uncomfortable or unpleasant affective experiences. The scale psychometric properties were developed across two studies of outpatient clinical samples (N=324; N = 203) of men drawn from California, Arizona, Utah, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Items are endorsed on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Very Often). Scores range from 19 to 95. A summed score of 53 or above is indicative of difficulties with hypersexuality. In clinical samples, reliability coefficients for the Control, Coping, and Consequences subscales are reported to be .95, .91 and .89, respectively with the overall total items yielding a coefficient of .96. The factor structure has been replicated using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFI = .95, RMSEA = .05). Discriminant validity was established with measures of theoretically dissimilar constructs including impulsivity, stress proneness, depression, anxiety, boredom, self-discipline, and emotional dysregulation. Established concurrent validity yielded strong positive relationships with the Sexual Compulsivity Scale and the Compulsive Sexual Behavior Inventory. The measure is reported to discriminate well between controls and hypersexual patient samples and was developed based on the DSM-V proposed classification criteria for Hypersexual Disorder.
Reid, R. C., Garos, S., & Carpenter, B. N. (2011). Reliability, validity, and psychometric development of the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory in an outpatient sample of men. Journal of Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 18(1), 30–51.
Perceived Emotional Support (PDF)
The Perceived Emotional Support Inventory (PESI) is an 8-item unifactor Likert scale that uses a 7-point response format with categories fully labeled (1 = Very Strongly Disagree, 2 = Strongly Disagree, 3 = Mildly Disagree, 4 = Neutral, 5 = Mildly Agree, 6 = Strongly Agree, 7 = Very Strongly Agree). Items 3, 4, and 7 are reverse scored prior to summation of all scale items yielding a total PESI score. Scores range from 8 to 56 with higher scores reflecting greater levels of perceived emotional support. The PESI purports to assess whether a respondent has someone with whom (1) vulnerable emotions can be trusted, (2) feelings can be honestly expressed, (3) shared emotions can be empathically validated, and (4) guidance can be sought related to emotional issues and emotional well-being. Sample items include “When I need emotional help I have people I can turn to” and “There is someone trustworthy I can share my emotional experiences with.” Normed on several college samples (n = 205; n = 298), the scale demonstrated discriminate validity with the Beck Depression Inventory–II and concurrent validity with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Reliability analysis of the scale showed high internal consistency (alpha = .93) and test-retest reliability over a 4-week interval (r = .87). Analyses of gender differences for the PESI were non-significant (p = .731). Based on combined norming data of the college samples, the mean score is 46.1 (SD = 8.69). Therefore, scores ranging between 33 - 59 fall within an average range (+/- 1.5 standard deviations from the M = 46.1). Respondents scoring below 33 lack emotional support and those scoring above 59 have significantly higher than average perceptions of their emotional support.
Reid, R. C., Li, D. S., Stein, J. A., & Swickert, R. J. (under review). Pathways from personality traits to emotional distress mediated by perceived emotional support.
Pornography Consumption Inventory (PDF)
The Pornography Consumption Inventory (PCI) is a 15-item Likert scale with four-factors that uses a 5-point response format with categories fully labeled (1 = Never Like Me, 2 = Rarely Like Me, 3 = Somewhat Like Me, 4 = Often Like Me, and 5 = Very Often Like Me). Items are summed to generate scores for the respective factors with higher scores reflecting greater tendencies of respondents to use pornography in the manner prescribed by the factor. The PCI purports to assess the function of pornography across four domains labeled 1) Emotional Avoidance, 2) Sexual Curiosity, 3) Excitement Seeking, and 4) Sexual Pleasure. Sample items include “I use it to avoid feeling uncomfortable or unpleasant emotions” and “I use it to help me masturbate, for a physical release.” The scale was developed using treatment seeking samples of hypersexual men (n = 105 and n = 107) and demonstrated concurrent and discriminate validity with measures of hypersexual behavior, anxiety, depression, impulsivity, fantasy, stress, and loneliness. Reliability analysis of the scale showed high internal reliability for the overall scale (alpha = .93) and subscales Emotional Avoidance (alpha = .95), Sexual Curiosity (alpha = .89), Excitement Seeking (alpha = .85), and Sexual Pleasure (alpha = .90) and high test-retest reliability over a 4-week interval (r = .87). The construct validity of the scale was evidenced in a second sample of hypersexual patients using confirmatory factor analysis yielding an acceptable goodness of fit. Means and standard deviations for the total PCI scores and subscales based on the hypersexual patient sample are: Total PCI (M = 48.6, SD = 13.8), Emotional Avoidance (M = 16.6, SD = 6.3), Sexual Curiosity (M = 9.6, SD = 4.), Excitement Seeking, (M = 10.4, SD = 3.3), and Sexual Pleasure (M = 11.9, SD = 3.4).
Reid, R. C., Li, D. S., Gilliland, R., Stein, J., Karim, R., & Fong, T. (in press). Reliability, validity, and psychometric development of the Pornography Consumption Inventory in a sample of hypersexual men. Journal of Sex & Martial Therapy.
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