Multidimensional Sexual Perfectionism Questionnaire (MSPQ)
Measures five distinct psychological tendencies associated with people's standards of sexual conduct.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Multidimensional Sexual Perfectionism Questionnaire (MSPQ) was developed by William E. Snell, Jr. (1995). It is designed to measure Sexual Perfectionism. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Self-oriented Sexual Perfectionism, Socially Prescribed Sexual Perfectionism, Partner-directed Sexual Perfectionism, Partner’s Self-oriented Sexual Perfectionism, Self-directed Sexual Perfectionism from Partner.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Self-oriented Sexual Perfectionism | 1,6,11,16,21,26 | 6 |
| Socially Prescribed Sexual Perfectionism | 2,7,12,17,22,27 | 6 |
| Partner-directed Sexual Perfectionism | 5,10,15,20 | 4 |
| Partner's Self-oriented Sexual Perfectionism | 3,8,13,18,23,28 | 6 |
| Self-directed Sexual Perfectionism from Partner | 4,9,14,19,24 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 16 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 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Perfectionism: 0 – 1
- Moderate Perfectionism: 1 – 2
- High Perfectionism: 3 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Self-oriented: .71, Socially Prescribed: .37, Partner-directed: .67, Partner's Self-oriented: .67, Self-directed from partner: .75.
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.