Female Orgasm Scale – FOS

Scale Overview

The Female Orgasm Scale – FOS was developed by Alexandra McIntyre-Smith and William A. Fisher (2015). It is designed to measure Female orgasmic consistency and satisfaction. The scale is intended for use with Heterosexually active women.

Scale Structure

This instrument consists of 7 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Orgasm from Clitoral Stimulation, Satisfaction with Orgasm.

Response Format

Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.

Response anchors: Items 1-5: 0 = 0% (or Does not apply to me), Items 1-5: 1 = 10%, Items 1-5: 2 = 20%, Items 1-5: 3 = 30%, Items 1-5: 4 = 40%, Items 1-5: 5 = 50%, Items 1-5: 6 = 60%, Items 1-5: 7 = 70%, Items 1-5: 8 = 80%, Items 1-5: 9 = 90%, Items 1-5: 10 = 100%, Items 6-7: 1 = Very Unsatisfied, Items 6-7: 2 = Moderately Unsatisfied, Items 6-7: 3 = Slightly Unsatisfied, Items 6-7: 4 = Neither Satisfied nor Unsatisfied, Items 6-7: 5 = Slightly Satisfied, Items 6-7: 6 = Moderately Satisfied, Items 6-7: 7 = Very Satisfied.

Scoring

Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.

Total scores range from 20 to 490. Interpretation guidelines:

• Low Orgasm Consistency and Satisfaction: 20 – 176
• Moderate Orgasm Consistency and Satisfaction: 177 – 333
• High Orgasm Consistency and Satisfaction: 334 – 490

Psychometric Properties

Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Total scale α = .84–.86.

Administration

The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.