The Female Sexual Subjectivity Inventory (FSSI) is a 20-item measure of females’ sexual self-conceptions or sexual subjectivity. The measure contains 5 factors: 1) Sexual body-esteem 2) Sense of entitlement to sexual pleasure from self 3) Self of entitlement to sexual pleasure from partner 4) Self-efficacy in achieving sexual pleasure and 5) Sexual self-reflection.
Geographies Tested: Australia
Populations Included: Female
Age Range: Adolescents, Adults
Sexual body-esteem
1. It bothers me that I’m not better looking*
2. I worry that I am not sexually desirable to others*
3. Physically, I am an attractive person
4. I am confident that a romantic partner would find me sexually attractive
5. I am confident that others will find me sexually desirable
Sense of entitlement to sexual pleasure from self
6. It is okay for me to meet my own sexual needs through self-masturbation
7. I believe self-masturbating can be an exciting experience
8. I believe self-masturbation is wrong*
Sense of entitlement to sexual pleasure from partner
9. If a partner were to ignore my sexual needs and desires, I’d feel hurt
10. It would bother me if a sexual partner neglected my sexual needs and desires
11. I would expect a sexual partner to be responsive to my sexual needs and feelings
12. I think it is important for a sexual partner to consider my sexual pleasure
Self-efficacy in achieving sexual pleasure
13. I would not hesitate to ask for what I want sexually from a romantic partner
14. I am able to ask a partner to provide the sexual stimulation I need
15. If I were to have sex with someone, I’d show my partner what I want
Sexual self-reflection
16. I spend time thinking and reflecting about my sexual experiences
17. I rarely think about the sexual aspects of my life*
18. I think about my sexuality
19. I don’t think about my sexuality very much*
20. My sexual behavior and experiences are not something I spend time thinking about*
Response Options:
5-point Likert scale
Not at all true for me - 1
Very true for me - 5
*Items are reverse scored
Items from each of the 5 factors are averaged, creating a score ranging from 1-5. Computing a total score for the FSSI is not recommended as each subscale can stand alone as a .unique aspect of a complex phenomenon.
Horne, S., & Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J. (2006). The Female Subjectivity Inventory: Development and validation of a multidimensional inventory for late adolescents and emerging adults. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, 125-138. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2006.00276.x
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