Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire – MSQ
Measures psychological tendencies associated with human sexuality across 12 distinct dimensions.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire – MSQ was developed by William E. Snell, Jr., Terri D. Fisher, & Lynn S. Walters (1993). It is designed to measure Human sexuality and psychological tendencies. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 60 items organized into 12 factors/subscales: Sexual Esteem, Sexual Preoccupation, Internal Sexual Control, Sexual Consciousness, Sexual Motivation, Sexual Anxiety, Sexual Assertiveness, Sexual Depression, External Sexual Control, Sexual Self-Monitoring, Fear of Sex, Sexual Satisfaction.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Esteem | 1,13,25,37,49 | 5 |
| Sexual Preoccupation | 2,14,26,38,50 | 5 |
| Internal Sexual Control | 3,15,27,39,51 | 5 |
| Sexual Consciousness | 4,16,28,40,52 | 5 |
| Sexual Motivation | 5,17,29,41,53 | 5 |
| Sexual Anxiety | 6,18,30,42,54 | 5 |
| Sexual Assertiveness | 7,19,31,43,55 | 5 |
| Sexual Depression | 8,20,32,44,56 | 5 |
| External Sexual Control | 9,21,33,45,57 | 5 |
| Sexual Self-Monitoring | 10,22,34,46,58 | 5 |
| Fear of Sex | 11,23,35,47,59 | 5 |
| Sexual Satisfaction | 12,24,36,48,60 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all characteristic of me, 1 = Slightly characteristic of me, 2 = Somewhat characteristic of me, 3 = Moderately characteristic of me, 4 = Very characteristic of me.
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 20. Interpretation guidelines:
- Very Low: 0 – 4
- Low: 5 – 8
- Moderate: 9 – 12
- High: 13 – 16
- Very High: 17 – 20
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Alpha values range from .70 to .90 for the subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.