Table of Contents
Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale
WILLIAM E. SNELL, JR.,1 Southeast Missouri State University
The literature on human sexuality emphasizes the need for people to discuss the sexual aspects of themselves with others. Snell, Belk, Papini, and Clark (1989) examined women’s and men’s willingness to discuss a variety of sexual topics with parents and friends by developing an objective self-report instrument, the Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale (SSDS). The first version of the SSDS consists of 12 sub- scales that measure the following sexual topics (Snell & Belk, 1987): sexual behavior, sexual sensations, sexual fantasies, sexual attitudes, the meaning of sex, negative sexual affect, positive sexual affect, sexual concerns, birth control, sexual responsibility, sexual dishonesty, and rape. In another study reported by Snell et al. (1989), women’s and men’s willingness to discuss a variety of sexual topics with an intimate partner was examined by extending the SSDS to include a greater variety of sexual topics. The Revised Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale (SSDS-R) consists of 24 three-item subscales measuring people’s willing- ness to discuss the following sexual topics with an intimate partner (reported in Study 3 by Snell et al., 1989): sexual behaviors, sexual sensations, sexual fantasies, sexual preferences, meaning of sex, sexual accountability, distressing sex, sexual dishonesty, sexual delay preferences, abortion and pregnancy, homosexuality, rape, AIDS, sexual moral- ity, sexual satisfaction, sexual guilt, sexual calmness, sexual depression, sexual jealousy, sexual apathy, sexual anxiety, sexual happiness, sexual anger, and sexual fear.
Description
The initial version of the Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale SSDS consists of 120 items that form 12 separate five-item subscales for each of two disclosure targets (male and female therapists). To respond to this version of the SSDS, individuals are asked to indicate how willing they would be to discuss the SSDS sexual topics with the disclosure targets. A 5-point Likert-type scale (scored 0 to 4) is used to measure the responses: (0) I am not at all willing to discuss this topic with this person, (1) I am slightly willing to discuss this topic with this person, (2) I am moderately willing to discuss this topic with this person, (3) I am almost totally willing to discuss this topic with this person, and (4) I am totally willing to discuss this topic with this person. Subscale scores are created for each disclosure target person by summing the 5 items on each subscale. Higher scores thus indicate greater willingness to disclose a particular SSDS sexual topic with a particular person.
The SSDS-R used by Snell et al. (1989) consists of 72 items that form 24 three-item subscales for the disclosure target (i.e., an intimate partner). In responding to the SSDS- R, individuals are asked to indicate how much they are willing to discuss the SSDS-R topics with an intimate partner. A 5-point Likert-type scale is used to collected data on the subjects’ responses, with each item being scored from 0 to 4: (0) I would not be willing to discuss this topic with an intimate partner, (1) I would be slightly willing to discuss this topic with an intimate partner, (2) I would be moderately willing to discuss this topic with an intimate partner, (3) I would be mostly willing to discuss this topic with an intimate partner, and (4) I would be completely willing to discuss this topic with an intimate partner. In order to create SSDS-R subscale scores, the three items on each sub- scale are summed (no items are reverse scored). Higher scores thus correspond to greater willingness to discuss the SSDS-R sexual topics with an intimate partner.
The sample version of the SSDS-R in the exhibit is an example of how the SSDS-R may be modified for use with different target persons (e.g., mother, father, best female friend, best male friend).
Response Mode and Timing
Respondents indicate their responses typically on a computer scan sheet by darkening in a response from A to E. Alternatively, responses to the SSDS can be written directly on the questionnaire itself. Usually, 20–30 minutes are needed to complete the SSDS.
Scoring
The SSDS consists of 12 subscales, each containing five separate items. The labels and items for each of these sub- scales are: (a) Sexual Behavior (Items 1, 13, 25, 37, 49); Sexual Sensations (Items 2, 14, 26, 38, 50); (c) Sexual Fantasies (Items 3, 15, 27, 39, 51); (d) Sexual Attitudes (Items 4, 16, 28, 40, 52); (e) Meaning of Sex (Items 5, 17, 29, 41, 53); (f) Negative Sexual Affect (Items 6, 18, 30, 42, 54); (g) Positive Sexual Affect (Items 7, 19, 31, 43, 55); (h) Sexual Concerns (Items 8, 20, 32, 44, 56); (i) Birth Control (Items 9, 21, 33, 45, 57); (j) Sexual Responsibility (Items 10, 22, 34, 46, 58); (k) Sexual Dishonesty (Items 11, 23, 35, 47, 59); and (l) Rape (Items 12, 24, 36, 48, 60). The items are coded so that A = 0; B = 1; C = 2; D = 3; and E = 4. The five items on each subscale are then summed, so that higher scores correspond to greater sexual self-disclosure.
The SSDS-R consists of 24 subscales, each containing three separate items: (a) Sexual Behaviors (Items 1, 5, 9); (b) Sexual Sensations (Items 2, 6, 10); (c) Sexual Fantasies (Items 3, 7, 11); (d) Sexual Preferences (Items 4, 8, 12); (e) Meaning of Sex (Items 13, 18, 23); (f) Sexual Accountability (Items 14, 19, 24); (g) Distressing Sex (Items 15, 20, 25); (h) Sexual Dishonesty (Items 16, 21, 26); (i) Sexual Delay Preferences (Items 17, 22, 27); (j) Abortion and Pregnancy (Items 28, 33, 38); (k) Homosexuality (Items 29, 34, 39); (l) Rape (Items 30, 35, 40); (m) AIDS (Items 31, 36, 41); (n) Sexual Morality (Items 32, 37, 42); (o) Sexual Satisfaction (Items 43, 53, 63); (p) Sexual Guilt (Items 44, 54, 64); (q) Sexual Calmness (Items 45, 55, 65); (r) Sexual Depression (Items 46, 56, 66); (s) Sexual Jealousy (Items 47, 57, 67); (t) Sexual Apathy (Items 48, 58, 68); (u) Sexual Anxiety (Items 49, 59, 69); (v) Sexual Happiness (Items 50, 60, 70); (w) Sexual Anger (Items 51, 61, 71); and (x) Sexual Fear (Items 52, 62, 72).
Reliability
The internal consistency of the 12 subscales on the original SSDS was determined by calculating Cronbach alpha coefficients. These alphas ranged from a low of .83 to a high of .93 (average = .90) for the female therapist, and from a low of .84 to a high of .94 (average = .92) for the male therapist. The reliability coefficients for the SSDS-R ranged from a low of .59 to a high of .91 (average = .81). These reliability coefficients were all sufficiently high to justify using either version of the scale in research investigations.
Validity
Snell et al. (1989) reported that women’s and men’s responses to the SSDS varied as a function of the disclosure recipient and the content of the sexual disclosure. Women indicated that they were more willing to discuss the topics on the SSDS with a female than a male therapist. Also, it was found that people’s responses to the SSDS-R varied as a function of respondent gender and sexual topic.
Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale
Instructions: This survey is concerned with the extent to which you have discussed the following 60 topics about sexuality with several different people. Listed below you will notice four columns a which represent the following individuals: (A) your mother, (B) your father,
your best male friend, and (D) your best female friend. For each of these people, indicate how much you have discussed these topics with them. Use the following scale for your responses:
Have not
Have slightly
Have moderately
Have mostly
Have fully
discussed
discussed
discussed
discussed
discussed
this topic:
this topic:
this topic:
this topic:
this topic:
with your mother.
with your father.
with your best male friend.
with your best female friend.
My past sexual experiences
The things that sexually arouse me
My imaginary sexual encounters
The sexual behaviors which I think people ought to exhibit
What sex means to me
How guilty I feel about sex
How satisfied I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
Times when sex was distressing for me
What I think about birth control
My private notion of sexual responsibility
The times I have faked orgasm
My private views about rape
The types of sexual behaviors I’ve engaged in
The sexual activities that “feel good” to me
My private sexual fantasies
What I consider “proper” sexual behaviors
What it means to me to make love together with someone
How anxious I feel about my sex life
How content I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
Times when I had undesired sex
How I feel about abortions
The responsibility one ought to assume for one’s sexuality
The times I have pretended to enjoy sex
The “truths and falsehoods” about rape
The number of times I have had sex
The behaviors that are sexually exciting to me
My sexually exciting imaginary thoughts
The sexual conduct that people ought to exhibit
What I think and feel about having sex with someone
How depressed I feel about my own sexuality
How happy I feel about my sexuality
Times when I was pressured to have sex
How I feel about pregnancy
My own ideas about sexual accountability
The times I have lied about sexual matters
What women and men really feel about rape
The sexual positions I’ve tried
The sensations that are sexually arousing to me
My “juicy” sexual thoughts
My attitudes about sexual behaviors
The meaning that sexual intercourse has for me
How frustrated I feel about my sex life
How much joy that sex gives me
The aspects of sex that bother me
My private beliefs about pregnancy prevention
The idea of having to answer for one’s sexual conduct
What I think about sexual disloyalty
Women’s and men’s reactions to rape
The places and times-of-day when I’ve had sex
The types of sexual foreplay that feel arousing to me
The sexual episodes that I daydream about
My personal beliefs about sexual morality
The importance that I attach to making love with someone
How angry I feel about the sexual aspect of my life
How enjoyable I feel about my sexuality
Times when I wanted to leave a sexual encounter
The pregnancy precautions that people ought to take
The notion one is answerable for one’s sexual behaviors
How I feel about sexual honesty
Women’s and men’s reactions to rape
Revised Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale (illustrated for the “intimate partner” target only)
Instructions: This survey is concerned with the extent to which you have discussed the following topics about sexuality with an intimate partner. To respond, indicate how much you have discussed these topics with an intimate partner. Use the following scale for your responses:b
My past sexual experiences
The kinds of touching that sexually arouse me
My private sexual fantasies
The sexual preferences that I have
The types of sexual behaviors I have engaged in
The sensations that are sexually exciting to me
My “juicy” sexual thoughts
What I would desire in a sexual encounter
The sexual positions I have tried
The types of sexual foreplay that feel arousing to me
The sexual episodes that I daydream about
The things I enjoy most about sex
What sex in an intimate relationship means to me
My private beliefs about sexual responsibility
Times when sex was distressing for me
The times I have pretended to enjoy sex
Times when I prefer to refrain from sexual activity
What it means to me to have sex with my partner
My own ideas about sexual accountability
Times when I was pressured to have sex
The times I have lied about sexual matters
The times when I might not want to have sex
What I think and feel about having sex with my partner
The notion that one is accountable for one’s sexual behaviors
The aspects of sex that bother me
How I would feel about sexual dishonesty
My ideas about not having sex unless I want to
How I feel about abortions
My personal views about homosexuals
My own ideas about why rapes occur
My personal views about people with AIDS
What I consider “proper” sexual behavior
My beliefs about pregnancy prevention
Opinions I have about homosexual relationships
What I really feel about rape
Concerns that I have about the disease AIDS
The sexual behaviors that I consider appropriate
How I feel about pregnancy at this time
My reactions to working with a homosexual
My reactions to rape
My feelings about working with someone who has AIDS
My personal beliefs about sexual morality
How satisfied I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How guilty I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How calm I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How depressed I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How jealous I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How apathetic I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How anxious I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How happy I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How angry I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How afraid I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How pleased I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How shameful I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How serene I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How sad I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How possessive I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How indifferent I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How troubled I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How mad I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How fearful I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How delighted I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How embarrassed I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How relaxed I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How unhappy I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How detached I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How worried I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How joyful I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How irritated I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
How frightened I feel about the sexual aspects of my life
aThe columns are not shown here to conserve space.
bThe scale is the same as that for the SSDS except that “with an intimate partner” follows each descriptor.
References
Snell, W. E., Jr., & Belk, S. S. (1987, April). Development of the Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale (SSDS): Sexual disclosure to female and male therapists. Paper presented at the 33rd annual meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.
Snell, W. E., Jr., Belk, S. S., Papini, D. R., & Clark, S. (1989). Development and validation of the Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale. Annals of Sex Research, 2, 307–334.
Cite this article
mohammad looti (2026). Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/sexual-self-disclosure-scale-3/
mohammad looti. "Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 31 Mar. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/sexual-self-disclosure-scale-3/.
mohammad looti. "Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/sexual-self-disclosure-scale-3/.
mohammad looti (2026) 'Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/sexual-self-disclosure-scale-3/.
[1] mohammad looti, "Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, March, 2026.
mohammad looti. Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.