Scale Overview
The Causal Attribution for Coital Orgasm Scale – CACOS was developed by Joseph W. Critelli, Charles F. Bridges, Victor E. Loos (1987). It is designed to measure Causal attribution for coital orgasm. The scale is intended for use with Women who have had at least 15 coital contacts and have experienced coital orgasm at least once.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Orgasm – Internal-Stable (Ability), Orgasm – Internal-Unstable (Effort), Orgasm – External-Stable (Task Difficulty), Orgasm – External-Unstable (Luck), Nonorgasm – Internal-Stable (Ability), Nonorgasm – Internal-Unstable (Effort), Nonorgasm – External-Stable (Task Difficulty), Nonorgasm – External-Unstable (Luck).
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Orgasm – Internal-Stable (Ability) |
1,4,5 |
3 |
| Orgasm – Internal-Unstable (Effort) |
1,2,6 |
3 |
| Orgasm – External-Stable (Task Difficulty) |
2,3,5 |
3 |
| Orgasm – External-Unstable (Luck) |
3,4,6 |
3 |
| Nonorgasm – Internal-Stable (Ability) |
7,10,11 |
3 |
| Nonorgasm – Internal-Unstable (Effort) |
7,8,12 |
3 |
| Nonorgasm – External-Stable (Task Difficulty) |
8,9,11 |
3 |
| Nonorgasm – External-Unstable (Luck) |
9,10,12 |
3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: A = First Option, B = Second Option.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 3. Interpretation guidelines:
- Attribution Score per Category (Higher scores indicate stronger attribution to that category): 0 – 3
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Test-retest reliability ranging from .65 to .78.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.