Multidimensional Sexual Perfectionism Questionnaire (MSPQ)
Measures five distinct psychological dimensions of perfectionistic standards applied to sexual conduct.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Multidimensional Sexual Perfectionism Questionnaire (MSPQ) was developed by William E. Snell, Jr. & K. Rigdon (1995). It is designed to measure Sexual Perfectionism. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 31 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Self-oriented Sexual Perfectionism, Socially Prescribed Sexual Perfectionism, Partner’s Self-oriented Sexual Perfectionism, Self-directed Sexual Perfectionism from Partner, Partner-directed Sexual Perfectionism.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Self-oriented Sexual Perfectionism | 2,7,12,17,22,27 | 6 |
| Socially Prescribed Sexual Perfectionism | 3,8,13,18,23,26,28 | 7 |
| Partner's Self-oriented Sexual Perfectionism | 4,9,14,19,24,29 | 6 |
| Self-directed Sexual Perfectionism from Partner | 5,10,15,20,25 | 5 |
| Partner-directed Sexual Perfectionism | 6,11,16,21 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all characteristic of me, 1 = Slightly characteristic of me, 2 = Somewhat characteristic of me, 3 = Moderately characteristic of me, 4 = Very characteristic of me.
The scale includes 16 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low perfectionism tendency: 0 – 1
- Moderate perfectionism tendency: 2 – 3
- High perfectionism tendency: 4 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach alphas: Self-oriented (.71), Socially Prescribed (.37), Partner-directed (.67), Partner's Self-oriented (.67), Self-directed from partner (.75).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.