Sexual Polarity Scale (SPS)
Measures a relative preference for a left-wing world-view (humanist) and sexual ideology (naturalist) versus a right-wing world-view (normative) and sexual ideology (jehovanist).
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Sexual Polarity Scale (SPS) was developed by Donald L. Mosher & James Sullivan (1986). It is designed to measure Sexual and World-View Polarity. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 49 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Sexual Polarity, World-View Polarity.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Polarity | 1,4,8,9,10,11,14,15,16,17,19,20,22,23,25,27,28,29,30,35,36,37,39,40,41,43,44,46 | 28 |
| World-View Polarity | 2,3,5,6,7,12,13,18,21,24,26,31,32,33,34,38,42,45,47,48,49 | 21 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: a = Option A, b = Option B.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 49. Interpretation guidelines:
- Left-wing / Humanist & Naturalist Ideology: 0 – 24
- Right-wing / Normative & Jehovanist Ideology: 25 – 49
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach alpha of .86 for sexual polarity, .79 for world-view polarity.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 13 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.