Multidimensional Sexual Approach Questionnaire (MSAQ)
A self-report questionnaire designed to assess eight distinct psychological approaches to sexual relationships.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Multidimensional Sexual Approach Questionnaire (MSAQ) was developed by William E. Snell, Jr. (1992). It is designed to measure Sexual relationship styles and approaches. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 56 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Passionate, Game-playing, Companionate, Practical, Dependent, Altruistic, Communal, Exchange.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Passionate | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 | 7 |
| Game-playing | 8,9,10,11,12,13,14 | 7 |
| Companionate | 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 | 7 |
| Practical | 22,23,24,25,26,27,28 | 7 |
| Dependent | 29,30,31,32,33,34,35 | 7 |
| Altruistic | 36,37,38,39,40,41,42 | 7 |
| Communal | 43,44,45,46,47,48 | 6 |
| Exchange | 49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 2 = Strongly agree, 1 = Moderately agree, 0 = Neutral—Neither agree nor disagree, -1 = Moderately disagree, -2 = Strongly disagree.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach alphas ranged from .72 to .92 across subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.