Revised Kely Sexual Shame Scale (Inventory of Sexual Shame, KISS-9) – Chinese Version

Description

Shame is a pain-related emotional experience characterized by the belief that one is inherently flawed or unaccepted. Numerous studies have confirmed the severe destructive impact of shame on individuals, linking it with low self-esteem, poor interpersonal skills, impaired empathy, feelings of anger and hostility, and maladaptive anger management strategies (Tangney & Dearing, 2003). Some scholars find it challenging to distinguish between shame and guilt, as they develop concurrently in early life (Cndea, 2018; Kim, Thibodeau, & Jorgensen, 2011). When researchers need to differentiate shame from guilt, they apply one of the following three criteria: (1) the type of event that triggers the emotion, (2) whether the transgression is private or public, and (3) whether the individual perceives the event as a moral failing or a failure of the self (Tangney, 2007). The most supported distinction in social psychology research is whether a person attributes their wrongdoing to their personal issues or to the wrongdoing itself. The experience of shame is directly related to the self and is the focus of evaluation. In guilt, the self is not the central object of negative evaluation; instead, the focus is on the actions taken or not taken. In other words, shame views the entire self as bad after committing a wrong, while guilt considers only the wrongful act as bad. Simply put, the distinction between shame and guilt is: guilt is related to the feeling of “what I did,” whereas shame pertains to a feeling of “who I am” (Kim et al., 2011; Monica et al., 2015; Galhardo et al., 2011). According to research by Tangney et al., shame is typically more painful than guilt, involving an overall negative evaluation of the self (Tangney, Dearing, & Gamble, 2004). Guilt may be healthier and more adaptive than shame, as guilt is more likely to motivate individuals to apologize or seek ways to correct perceived wrongful behaviors, whereas shame is more likely to lead to withdrawal and avoidance behaviors (Cohen et al., 2011; Tangney & Dearing, 2003). Sexual shame refers to a person’s feelings of shame regarding their current or past sexual thoughts, behaviors, or experiences, representing an experience of feeling flawed or unworthy of acceptance and recognition (Brown, 2007; Clark, 2017; Kyle, 2013). Sexual shame is closely linked to an individual’s negative experiences and often accompanied by self-blame, including humiliation and disgust towards one’s body and uncertainty about sexual identity (Clark, 2017). The impacts of sexual shame, such as avoidance behavior, negative self-evaluation, interpersonal difficulties, and effects on physical/sexual contact and compatibility in romantic relationships, are predominantly negative. However, sexual shame also has some constraining effects on sexuality. This may relate to the societal atmosphere in China, where sexual shame is often linked to sexual morality. A sense of shame is required in sexual morality since a proper sense of shame can inhibit indulgence in physical desires and reduce various promiscuous behaviors in heterosexual interactions. Shame acts as a solid barrier against the emergence of sexual misconduct, promoting self-respect, self-worth, and self-love regarding sexual concepts (Xu Chao, 2011).

Authors and Contact Email

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Purpose

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Test Year

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Administration Method and Scoring

The Kely Sexual Shame Scale consists of 20 items designed to assess feelings of shame related to sexual thoughts, experiences, and behaviors (e.g., “I repeatedly relive painful events from my sexual experiences,” “I feel that I’m never good enough when it comes to sex,” “I believe that if people knew about my sexual experiences, they would look down on me”). Participants voluntarily respond to these statements using a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 6, from “Strongly Disagree” (1) to “Strongly Agree” (6). The total score is calculated, with higher scores reflecting stronger sexual shame, ranging from 20 to 120. The reliability Cronbach α coefficient of the abbreviated 9-item Chinese version of the Kely Sexual Shame Scale is 0.896, indicating good reliability.

Reliability and Validity

The reliability Cronbach α coefficient of the abbreviated 9-item Chinese version of the Kely Sexual Shame Scale is 0.896, indicating good reliability.

Factors and Subscales

Information not available.

Keywords

Sexual Shame, Shame, Guilt, Self-esteem, Interpersonal Relationships

Items in Chinese

1. 人们如果知道了我的性经历会看不起我。
2. 当想到自己在过去的性爱情境中时，我会责备和贬低自己。
3. 总的来说，我对自己现在和过去的性选择和性经历感到满意。
4. 当想起我过去的性经历时，我觉得自己作为一个人是有缺陷的，好像在某些方面我生来就有问题。
5. 在我非自愿的情况下与人发生性关系让我感到羞耻。
6. 我感觉自己在性方面从来都不够好。
7. 我有时会试图隐瞒自己在性方面是怎样的人。
8. 我为自己的性能力感到羞耻。
9. 我为自己的性幻想或怪癖幻想感到羞耻。
10. 当我处于性爱情景时，我对自己的身体感到羞耻。
11. 我有时会因为自己过去的性选择或经历而避开某些人。
12. 在我的性选择和性经历上，我对自己感到满意。
13. 我在脑海里一遍又一遍地回想着过去性经历中的痛苦事件。
14. 我非常害怕自己过去的性经历会在别人面前暴露出来。
15. 我对自己某次不完全自愿发生的性行为感到羞耻。
16. 当谈到性时，我觉得自己是有价值的人，至少是和别人平等的。
17. 我为自己有外遇/不忠/性滥交的行为而感到羞耻。
18. 我害怕别人会发现我的性缺陷。
19. 我为自己对同性有吸引力感到羞耻。
20. 当想到现在或过去的性经历时，我感到空虚和不满足。

Items in English

1. I believe that if people knew about my sexual experiences, they would look down on me.
2. When thinking about my past sexual situations, I blame and belittle myself.
3. Overall, I am satisfied with my current and past sexual choices and experiences.
4. When I think about my past sexual experiences, I feel that I am flawed as a person, as if I was born with problems in certain aspects.
5. I feel ashamed when having sex with someone against my will.
6. I feel that I have never been good enough in sexual matters.
7. I sometimes try to hide what kind of person I am regarding sex.
8. I feel ashamed of my sexual abilities.
9. I feel ashamed of my sexual fantasies or peculiar interests.
10. When I am in a sexual situation, I feel shame about my body.
11. I sometimes avoid certain people because of my past sexual choices or experiences.
12. I feel satisfied with my sexual choices and experiences.
13. I keep reliving painful events from my past sexual experiences in my mind.
14. I am very afraid that my past sexual experiences will be exposed to others.
15. I feel ashamed of a somewhat non-consensual sexual encounter I had.
16. When it comes to sex, I feel like I am a valuable person, at least equal to others.
17. I feel ashamed of my infidelity/disloyalty/promiscuous behavior.
18. I fear others discovering my sexual flaws.
19. I feel ashamed of my attraction to the same sex.
20. When I think of my current or past sexual experiences, I feel empty and unsatisfied.

References

彭红玉.成人性羞耻与消极身体意识的关系及其影响因素[D].西南大学,2023.DOI:10.27684/d.cnki.gxndx.2023.002565.