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Sexual Myths Scale (SMS)—Turkey

The Sexual Myths Scale (SMS)—Turkey is a 28-item self-reported measure of the degree to which an individual adopts sexual myths that may be informed by religious rules, prejudices, taboos, traditions, and customs. The measure focuses on measurement of the perception of sexuality in Turkey.

Categories

Geographies Tested: Turkey

Populations Included: Female, Male

Age Range: Adolescents, Adults

Items:

  1. Homosexuality should be treated
  2. Homosexuality is a disease
  3. Homosexuals are harmful to society
  4. Homosexual men act like women
  5. An individual’s sexual orientation is recognized from hisher external image (clothing, speech, and behavior)
  6. Men’s decisions are more realisticlogical than those of women
  7. Housework is a women’s task
  8. Being male is more valuable than being female
  9. Women are in need of help
  10. Men are more successful than are women in performing tasks like mathematics that require intelligence
  11. Men are more competitive than are women
  12. Sex life ends with aging
  13. Menopause (climacterium) ends a woman’s sex life
  14. Older people’s having sexual intercourse is not acceptable
  15. To have satisfactory sex life, one must be young
  16. While having sexual intercourse, a woman should comply with her husband’s wishes
  17. It is the woman’s duty to give pleasure to her husband during sexual intercourse
  18. Every stage of the sexual intercourse must be in the man’s control
  19. Masturbation leads to psychological problems
  20. Masturbation leads to the development of physical diseases
  21. Raped boys turn out to be a gay when they grow up
  22. Boys would not be rape victims
  23. Women with their external appearanceclothing may cause the emergence of sexual violence
  24. Non-consensual sexual intercourse between husbands and wives cannot be regarded as rape
  25. Sexual intercourse is essential if the spouses (partners) are to receive sexual pleasure
  26. Sexuality means sexual intercourse
  27. Sexual intercourse should result in orgasm
  28. Women can reach orgasm only through sexual intercourse (coitus)

Response Options:
I totally agree - 5
I somewhat agree - 4
I am undecided - 3
I disagree - 2
I totally disagree - 1

Scoring Procedures

The choice “I totally agree’ refers to the status of having the myth whereas the choice “I totally disagree” refers to the status of not having the myth. Total scores are averaged.

Original Citation

Golbasi, Z., Evcili, F., Eroglu, K., & Bircan, H. (2016). Sexual myths scale (SMS): development, validity and reliability in Turkey. Sexuality and Disability, 34(1), 75-87.


Psychometric Score

Ease of Use Score

Scoring breakdown

Formative Research

Qualitative Research

Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework

Field Expert Input

Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing

Reliability

Internal

Test-retest

Interrater

Validity

Content

Face

Criterion (gold-standard)

Construct

KEY

Ease of Use

Readability

Scoring Clarity

Length

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