Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale (SSDS)
Measures the extent of self-disclosure regarding specific sexual topics to target persons such as mother, father, same-sex friend, or dating partner.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale (SSDS) was developed by Edward S. Herold and Leslie Way (1988). It is designed to measure Sexual self-disclosure. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and young adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 8 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Have told the person nothing about this aspect of me, 2 = Have talked only in general terms about this item, 3 = Have talked in some detail about this item but have not fully discussed my own attitudes or behaviors, 4 = Have talked in complete detail about this item to the other person.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 8 to 32. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Disclosure: 8 – 15
- Moderate Disclosure: 16 – 24
- High Disclosure: 25 – 32
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Mother alpha = .84, Father alpha = .71, Same-sex friend alpha = .89, Dating partner alpha = .94.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.