Senior Adult Sexuality Scales – SASS
A multidimensional instrument designed to assess sexual attitudes, sexual interests, and sexual activities in older adults.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Senior Adult Sexuality Scales – SASS was developed by Estelle Weinstein (1984). It is designed to measure Senior adult sexual attitudes, interests, and activities. The scale is intended for use with Older adults (aged 60+).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 39 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Sexual Attitudes, Sexual Interest – Experimental, Sexual Interest – Traditional, Sexual Activities.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Attitudes | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16 | 16 |
| Sexual Interest – Experimental | 17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26 | 10 |
| Sexual Interest – Traditional | 27,28,29,30,31,32,33 | 7 |
| Sexual Activities | 34,35,36,37,38,39 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: Attitudes: 1 = Strongly Agree, Attitudes: 7 = Strongly Disagree, Interest: 1 = Not Interested, Interest: 7 = Very Interested, Activities = Frequency (times per day/week/month/year/never).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 16 to 112. Interpretation guidelines:
- Conservative Sexual Attitude Orientation: 16 – 48
- Moderate Sexual Attitude Orientation: 49 – 80
- Liberal Sexual Attitude Orientation: 81 – 112
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Attitudes: alpha = .87; Interest (Experimental): alpha = .90; Interest (Traditional): alpha = .84; Activities: alpha = .66.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 35 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.