Sexual Path Preferences Inventory (SPPI)
Measures an individual's potential for sexual involvement and their relative preferences among three distinct paths to sexual absorption: role enactment, trance, and partner engagement.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Sexual Path Preferences Inventory (SPPI) was developed by Donald L. Mosher (1980). It is designed to measure Sexual involvement potential and path preferences. The scale is intended for use with Sexually experienced adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 50 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Preference for the Path of Sexual Role Enactment, Preference for the Path of Sexual Trance, Preference for the Path of Partner Engagement.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Preference for the Path of Sexual Role Enactment | 1,5,9,11,13,18,19,23,26,28,33,35,38,42,44,46,49 | 17 |
| Preference for the Path of Sexual Trance | 3,4,8,12,14,16,20,24,27,29,31,36,39,40,43,47,50 | 17 |
| Preference for the Path of Partner Engagement | 2,6,7,10,15,17,21,22,25,30,32,34,37,41,45,48 | 16 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all true of (for) me, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = Extremely true of (for) me.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 180. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low to Moderate Path Preference: 0 – 120
- Highly Valued Path Preference (applicable to full 30-item subscales): 121 – 180
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach alpha: Involvement Potential = .93, Role Path = .92, Trance Path = .86, Partner Path = .91.
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.