Sexual attitudes are evaluative beliefs that determine favourable or unfavourable responses to sexual stimuli. Depending on the object to which it refers, sexual attitude can be general (erotophilia) or specific (attitude towards sexual fantasies and masturbation). Erotophobia-erotophilia is the disposition to respond to sexual stimuli on a bipolar dimension of affect and evaluation, from a negative (erotophobia) to a positive (erotophilia) pole. The Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) is used to assess erotophilia, which allows people to be classified as erotophilic (they value sex as pleasurable and seek sexual activity) or erotophobic (they value sexual activity negatively and tend to avoid it). To assess positive attitudes towards sexual fantasies, the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF) was developed. With regard to masturbation, the scale that measures negative attitudes towards masturbation is the Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Inventory (NATMI).
Although there is evidence that sexual attitudes may vary among groups of people defined by their sexual orientation, studies on sexual attitudes of LGB people are still scarce. Most scales measuring sexual attitudes have been validated with heterosexuals. Studying the measurement invariance of instruments that assess sexual attitudes is relevant. This type of study makes it possible to describe and explain how the dimensions that make up the scales used to measure sexual attitudes (e.g., erotophilia, attitude towards sexual fantasies and attitude towards masturbation) function, for example, in groups and collectives that are differentiated by their sexual orientation. For this reason, Laura Elvira Muñoz-García, Carmen Gómez-Berrocal, Alejandro Guillén-Riquelme and Juan Carlos Sierra have published in the International Journal of Environmental and Public Health with a sample of 2,293 heterosexual Spanish people. 293 Spanish heterosexual, bisexual and gay people to examine the invariance by sexual orientation of the Spanish versions of these three sexual attitude scales: the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS), the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF) and the Negative Attitudes Towards Masturbation Inventory (NATMI).
The results confirm that the measure of favourable attitude towards sexual fantasies provided by this instrument can be compared across sample groups defined by sexual orientation (heterosexuals, bisexuals and gays). On the other hand, the results of this study indicate that the SOS and NATMI scales are not invariant by sexual orientation, indicating that comparisons cannot be made between heterosexual, bisexual and gay people with respect to erotophilia and attitude towards masturbation. In the case of the NATMI scale, two of its items ("When I masturbate I feel guilty" and "When I masturbate I feel disgusted") do not receive the same response pattern about the feeling of guilt associated with solo masturbation behaviour by heterosexual, bisexual and gay people, so these items are not comparable by sexual orientation. In the case of the SOS scale, no items are found that present a response pattern different from the rest that would explain the absence of invariance. However, this could be explained by the extreme response pattern towards erotophilia shared by heterosexual, bisexual and gay people, which interferes with statistical analyses, since the invariance test needs a more heterogeneous response pattern to classify a scale as invariant. This pattern is found in the NATMI scale as well.
In conclusion, this study provides evidence of validity and reliability of the SOS, HISF and NATMI scales, as well as showing that attitudes towards erotophilia, sexual fantasies and masturbation are quite similar in heterosexual, bisexual and gay people. The analysis of these attitudes, which are closely related to sexual health, provides a detailed insight into the possible causes of certain problems related to LGB people's sexuality and serves as a guide to possible solutions.
- Link: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/3/1820
- Cita: Muñoz-García, L. E., Gómez-Berrocal, C., Guillén-Riquelme, A. y Sierra, J. C. (2023). Measurement Invariance across Sexual Orientation for Measures of Sexual Attitudes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, Artículo 1820. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031820
Laura Elvira Muñoz García:
- Email: noselaura@correo.ugr.es
- Twitter: @LE_Munoz_Garcia
Juan Carlos Sierra:
- Email: jcsierra@ugr.es
- Twitter: @sierra_juan