Development of the Sexual Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-S): Validation Among a Community Sample of French-Speaking Women

It has been recently demonstrated that mindfulness-based intervention may be particularly suitable for addressing sexual difficulties in women. Although the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) is currently one of the most widely used scales to assess mindfulness, no adaptation and validation of the FFMQ to measure female sexual functioning has been published. The main aim of this study was to develop and validate a sexual version of the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-S) to specifically measure mindfulness in the context of sexual encounters. A total of 251 healthy, French-speaking female volunteers were administered the FFMQ-S, the original FFMQ, and the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS-R). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the FFMQ-S exhibits a five-factor model, as implied by the original FFMQ. Good scale reliability was observed. The FFMQ-S showed significant correlations with the FSDS-R and the usual FFMQ. Scores on the FFMQ-S correlated significantly more negatively with the total FSDS-R score than with the total score of the original version of the FFMQ. These findings clearly support the relevance of developing a version of the FFMQ tailored to sexual functioning.     

Sexual self-disclosure among university women

Although there has been considerable research about self-disclosure, there has been a lack of research regarding disclosure of sexual topics. In order to increase our understanding of sexual self-disclosure (SSD), a scale was developed to measure SSD, and 10 variables were tested as predictors of SSD. The subjects were 203 unmarried university females aged 18-22. SSD was measured separately for each of the target groups of mother, father, close friend, and dating partner. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed separately for virgin and non-virgin subjects. The one variable which was significant for each of the target groups in each of the analyses was sexual comfort level of the target person. The variables of sex guilt and target person's sexual attitudes were significant for disclosure to each of the target groups among the nonvirgin subjects but to only some of the target groups among the virgin subjects. The remaining seven predictor variables were significant for at least one of the target groups. In the multiple regression models, the proportion of variance explained ranged from 28% to 58%. The results indicate the value of controlling for both target group and virginity status when analyzing the relationship of predictor variables to SSD.     

Exploratory Factor Analysis and Psychometric Properties of the Sexual Coercion Inventory

The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Sexual Coercion Inventory (SCI; Waldner, Vaden-Goad, & Sikka, 1999), revised by the authors (SCI-R). Overall, 514 high school and college students from a Midwestern state completed the SCI-R. To complete the SCI-R, high school participants completed paper-pencil surveys with those younger than 18 obtaining parental consent; college students older than 18 completed computer-based and paper-pencil surveys. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analyses were conducted to examine the validity of score interpretation and reliability of scores for the measure. Results suggested that a 13-item multidimensional measure consisting of two factors, Manipulation and Substance Use and Aggression, provided the best parsimony and theoretical fit. Examination of convergent and discriminant validity of scores provided additional psychometric support for the revised SCI-R, specifically pertaining to other measures of sexual victimization. The SCI-R may be a useful tool for researchers to explore manipulation tactics in more depth while also assessing and differentiating between victimization that meets legal definitions of rape and non-criminal sexual victimization.     

Predictors of Depression Among Lesbian Women

ABSTRACT

There is a paucity of research on depression and lesbian women. This is surprising given that large numbers of women experience depressive episodes and lesbian women in particular face an increased number of stressors related to their sexual orientation. This study explored how social support from family, social support from friends, relationship involvement, and sexual orientation disclosure related to and predicted depression for a sample of lesbian women. Information from 117 questionnaires was compiled from self-identified lesbians recruited through various lesbian-positive groups and snowball sampling. Results indicated significantly lower depression rates for women who were in a relationship and moderate negative correlations between depression and social support from family, social support from friends, and sexual orientation disclosure. Standard multiple regression analysis showed that 38% of the variability in depression scores was predicted by knowing the scores on the four independent variables. These results suggest that each of the independent variables has a significant effect on level of depression for lesbian women in the sample.     

eDiary and Female Sexual Distress Scale(©) in evaluating distress in hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)

Sex-related distress is integral to the diagnosis of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). This article describes the results of three prospective, non-treatment validation studies (two North American and one European), each testing over 200 participants with HSDD, other types of female sexual dysfunction (FSD), or no FSD in which the 12-item Female Sexual Distress Scale(?) (FSDS(?)), the 13-item FSDS-Revised(?)(FSDS-R(?)), and a single question asked using a daily electronic diary (the eDiary For HSDD Trials(?); eDiary) were used to measure sex-related distress. FSDS results with 30- and seven-day recall were equivalent. The results observed with FSDS-R Item 13 (a single question assessing concern due to low sexual desire) were comparable to the FSDS. Mean eDiary monthly distress scores were closer to the minimum possible score (equivalent to "a little bit" of distress) and were about twice as variable as FSDS or FSDS-R Item 13 scores in participants with HSDD. All three measures confirmed that there is more distress in women with HSDD compared to women with no sexual dysfunction at all time points, demonstrating discriminant validity.     

Development and Validation of the Poverty Attributions Survey

This article describes the process of developing and testing the Poverty Attribution Survey (PAS), a measure of poverty attributions. The PAS is theory based and includes original items as well as items from previously tested poverty attribution instruments. The PAS was electronically administered to a sample of state-licensed professional social workers. The three scales of the PAS—individual, cultural, and structural—demonstrated strong internal consistency reliability. We conducted exploratory factor analyses and forced three-factor analyses and retained items with factor loadings at or above .50. The items on each scale loaded as predicted with few exceptions. The PAS is a new tool for standardizing poverty attribution research. We discuss implications for social work education, research, and practice.     

Is There a Place for Extended Assessments in Addressing Child Sexual Abuse Allegations? How Sensitivity and Specificity Impact Professional Perspectives

Using data from a survey of perceptions of 932 child welfare professionals about the utility of extended assessments, the researchers constructed a scale to measure respondents' views about sensitivity (ensuring sexually abused children are correctly identified) and specificity (ensuring nonabused children are correctly identified) in child sexual abuse evaluations. On average, respondents scored high (valuing sensitivity) on the sensitivity versus specificity scale. Next, the researchers undertook bivariate analyses to identify independent variables significantly associated with the sensitivity versus specificity scale. Then those variables were entered into a multiple regression. Four independent variables were significantly related to higher sensitivity scores: encountering cases requiring extended assessments, valuing extended assessments among scarce resources, less concern about proving cases in court, and viewing the goal of extended assessments as understanding needs of child and family (adjusted R2 = .34).     

A model for the assessment of static and dynamic factors in sexual offenders

A sample of 519 sexual offenders who were consecutive admissions to the Ontario Region of Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) were assessed with reference to a large series of variables thought to be related to sexual offending. We grouped these variables into five domains: criminality, social competence, sexual deviance, substance abuse and treatment readiness. We standardized scores on each of these domains to facilitate the calculation of total scores for each domain. We then performed a variety of analyses to determine whether these domains might constitute a reasonable model for the comprehensive evaluation of sexual offenders. Analyses indicated that overall the model received a moderate level of support.     

Preoperative sexual status of Japanese localized prostate cancer patients: comparison of sexual activity and EPIC scores

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sexual activity and sexual function using questionnaires distributed to middle-aged Japanese patients with localized prostate cancer.

Methods: A total of 145 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy were enrolled in the survey reported on herein. Sexual activity and sexual function were investigated via the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) and an original self-reported questionnaire.

Results: Of participants, 24.1% and 20.7% had sexual activity within a month period as investigated via the EPIC and original questionnaire, respectively. However, 29.7% of all those who reported sexual activity rate reported “about once every 2?months to a year,” as shown in the original questionnaire. Regarding sexual function as addressed through EPIC, no results within that questionnaire’s measure of sexual function showed significant differences among patients with a rate of actual sexual activity.

Conclusions: The present survey showed that more than quarter of preoperative middle-aged Japanese prostate cancer patients surveyed had actual sexual activity, though not within the preceding 4?weeks. To precisely evaluate sexual function of middle-aged Japanese patients, it is necessary to consider actual sexual activity.     

A Short Form of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children

A short form of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children was derived from the original 90 items. An exploratory factor analysis of each factor identified the four items from each of the original factors with the highest eigenvalues. These items were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. The best fit was obtained for an 8-factor, 32-item model. The short form evidenced good convergent validity with parent ratings obtained from the Child Behavior Checklist, the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory, and the University of California at Los Angeles Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (UCLA PTSD RI). Norms (t-scores and percentiles based on raw scores) were calculated by age and by gender. The short form has promise as a screening measure with parents in settings like a child advocacy center.     

Confirmatory Validation Of The Factor Structure And Reliability Of The Sexual Risk Survey In A Large Multiuniversity Sample Of U.S. Students

Objectives: The Sexual Risk Survey (SRS) is a measure of sexual risk behavior designed to comprehensively assess sexual risk taking among college students and has been found to have good psychometric properties. However, the SRS was created and validated within a sample of U.S. Midwestern university students and the factor structure and reliability may differ in other samples. The current study expands on existing research by examining the factor structure and reliability of the SRS in a large, diverse archival data set and also provides a standardized approach to scoring the SRS. Methods: Archival data included in this study were collected from 2006 to 2013 from 5,496 university students in 16 different American academic institutions in 11 states. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original 5-factor solution described by Turchik and Garske (2009). In comparing mean subscale scores across demographic characteristics—age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religion—a number of demographic differences were found, although most differences were small in magnitude. Internal consistency reliability for the total scale was .90, and subscale alphas ranged from .63 to .90 for the total pooled sample. Conclusions: The factor analysis supported the original five-factor scale and new information is presented regarding demographics differences. Scoring guidelines have been updated and information to assist researchers with the standardized scoring of the SRS is presented.     

Investigating the factor structure and validity of the family empowerment scale for parents of children with emotional disturbance in middle school

Parent empowerment involves the ability of caregivers to meet the needs of their family while maintaining feelings of control and is particularly important for families of children at-risk. It is necessary to establish reliable and valid tools to measure parent empowerment. The purpose of this study was to examine the internal factor structure, score reliability, and convergent validity of the FES scores with caregivers of middle school youth who had an Individualized Education Plan for Emotional Disturbance (ED) or Other Health Impairment (OHI) due to emotional or behavioral needs. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the internal structure the FES. Score reliability was examined by computing coefficient alpha (Cronbach, 1951) for each subscale score and computing Coefficient omega and coefficient omega hierarchical for good-fitting factor models and bifactor models. Convergent validity was examined by generating composite scores for each subscale, followed by computing Pearson correlations between FES subscale scores and scores from the PAM, CGSQ and the SDQ. Results indicated that the hypothesized three-factor model fit the data adequately. FES scores were reliable based on coefficient alpha and omega, and evidence of convergent validity with measures of parent activation, caregiver strain, and child behavior were moderate to strong. The results support the use of the FES with parents of middle school youth who have ED and further validate the three factor structure identified in the initial measure development. Practical and clinical implications of these findings include support for the use of the FES with this particular group of parents.     

A MULTIDIMENSIONAL MEASURE OF RELIGIOUS INVOLVEMENT FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS

This article describes the confirmation and validation of a multidimensional measure of religious involvement using data from the National Survey of Black Americans (N = 2,107). This model was developed through a multistep strategy of confirmatory factor analysis and structural-equation modeling. First, a three-dimensional factor structure comprising organizational, nonorganizational, and subjective religiosity was confirmed for twelve religious indicators. This measurement model was found to exhibit excellent overall fit; it compared favorably to alternative models: and all hypothesized factor loadings were strong and statistically significant. Second, several constructs identified by prior research as correlates of religious involvement (gender, age, education, region, and urbanicity) were found to exhibit significant associations with one or more dimensions of the model. All analyses were conducted in LISREL 8.03, using maximum-likelihood estimation and a strategy of split-sample replication.     

The Interplay of Syndemic Production and Serosorting in Drug-Using Gay and Bisexual Men

The relationships between mental health, substance use, and sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men in a sample of 450 club drug-using men from New York City were examined using syndemics theory. Risk scores for each participant were based on variables measuring substance use and mental health burden. Participants with higher risk scores were significantly more likely to engage in risk behaviors. Risk taking was also explained by serosorting, suggesting that syndemics theory in and of itself, while significant in explaining risk, is not sufficient. These findings suggest we need to understand the interplay between social, emotional, and cognitive factors to understand sexual risk taking.     

A Psychometric Comparison of Three Scales and a Single-Item Measure to Assess Sexual Satisfaction

This study was designed to systematically compare and contrast the psychometric properties of three scales developed to measure sexual satisfaction and a single-item measure of sexual satisfaction. The Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS), Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX), and the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale–Short (NSSS-S) were compared to one another and to a single-item measure of sexual satisfaction. Conceptualization of the constructs, distribution of scores, internal consistency, convergent validity, test-retest reliability, and factor structure were compared between the measures. A total of 211 men and 214 women completed the scales and a measure of relationship satisfaction, with 33% (n = 139) of the sample reassessed two months later. All scales demonstrated appropriate distribution of scores and adequate internal consistency. The GMSEX, NSSS-S, and the single-item measure demonstrated convergent validity. Test-retest reliability was demonstrated by the ISS, GMSEX, and NSSS-S, but not the single-item measure. Taken together, the GMSEX received the strongest psychometric support in this sample for a unidimensional measure of sexual satisfaction and the NSSS-S received the strongest psychometric support in this sample for a bidimensional measure of sexual satisfaction.     

eDiary and Female Sexual Distress Scale© in Evaluating Distress in Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)

Sex-related distress is integral to the diagnosis of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). This article describes the results of three prospective, non-treatment validation studies (two North American and one European), each testing over 200 participants with HSDD, other types of female sexual dysfunction (FSD), or no FSD in which the 12-item Female Sexual Distress Scale^© (FSDS^©), the 13-item FSDS–Revised^©(FSDS–R^©), and a single question asked using a daily electronic diary (the eDiary For HSDD Trials^©; eDiary) were used to measure sex-related distress. FSDS results with 30- and seven-day recall were equivalent. The results observed with FSDS–R Item 13 (a single question assessing concern due to low sexual desire) were comparable to the FSDS. Mean eDiary monthly distress scores were closer to the minimum possible score (equivalent to “a little bit” of distress) and were about twice as variable as FSDS or FSDS–R Item 13 scores in participants with HSDD. All three measures confirmed that there is more distress in women with HSDD compared to women with no sexual dysfunction at all time points, demonstrating discriminant validity.     

A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO THE IDENTIFICATION PROBLEM IN DETAILED WAGE DECOMPOSITIONS

Oaxaca and Ransom (1999) show that a detailed decomposition of the coefficients effect is destined to suffer from an identification problem since the detailed coefficients effect attributed to dummy variables is not invariant to the choice of reference groups. It turns out that the identification problem in the decomposition equation is a disguised identification problem of constant and dummy variables in a regression equation. This article proposes a simple and natural remedy for this problem by using "normalized" regressions, which enable me to identify the constant and estimates of each dummy variable. (JEL C20 , J70 )     

Assessment of Distraction From Erotic Stimuli by Nonerotic Interference

Distraction from erotic cues during sexual encounters is a major contributor to sexual difficulties in men and women. Being able to assess distraction in studies of sexual arousal will help clarify underlying contributions to sexual problems. The current study aimed to identify the most accurate assessment of distraction from erotic cues in healthy men (n = 29) and women (n = 38). Participants were assigned to a no distraction, low distraction, or high distraction condition. Distraction was induced using an auditory distraction task presented during the viewing of an erotic video. Attention to erotic cues was assessed using three methods: a written quiz, a visual quiz, and a self-reported distraction measure. Genital and psychological sexual responses were also measured. Self-reported distraction and written quiz scores most accurately represented the level of distraction present, while self-reported distraction also corresponded with a decrease in genital arousal. Findings support the usefulness of self-report measures in conjunction with a brief quiz on the erotic material as the most accurate and sensitive ways to simply measure experimentally-induced distraction. Insight into distraction assessment techniques will enable evaluation of naturally occurring distraction in patients suffering from sexual problems.     

Correlation between the Japanese Aging Male Questionnaire (JAMQ) and Aging Male’s Symptom (AMS) scale in Japanese male

Abstract

Objectives: To clarify the correlation between the Japanese Aging Male Questionnaire (JAMQ) and the Aging Males’ Symptoms (AMS) scale through the factor analysis in Japanese male.

Materials and methods: In 61 male patients who visited the LOH outpatient clinic of Teikyo University Hospital, subjective symptoms featuring LOH were evaluated using the JAMQ and AMS. Factor analysis was performed on each questionnaire to clarify the LOH-related factors. Correlational analysis between the subscale scores representing such factors and the serum hormone profiles was also performed.

Results: Factor analysis of the JAMQ revealed an internal structure consisting of three subgroups: somatic, psychological and sexual factors with good categorization of the indicators to the appropriate subgroup. In contrast, the indicators of the AMS showed incomplete conformity to the subgroups of the JAMQ. Correlational analysis showed that each score on the JAMQ subgroups had the highest coefficient of correlation with the corresponding AMS subgroup (p?<?0.001). There was no significant association between total and free serum testosterone levels and the total and subscale scores on either AMS or JAMQ.

Conclusions: The results of factor analysis suggest that the sexual perceptions of Japanese populations might differ from those of Caucasian populations. JAMQ would be useful to separately assess individual aspects of somatic, psychological and sexual symptoms related to LOH among Japanese males.     

Genetic and environmental effects on sexual excitation and sexual inhibition in men

The Sexual Inhibition and Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) measure the propensity for sexual inhibition and excitation in men. According to the theoretical model underlying the SIS/SES, sexual response and associated behavior depend on dual control mechanisms in the brain involving the balance of excitatory and inhibitory systems which impinge on sexual response. Previous research with the SIS/SES has indicated one higher-order excitatory factor and two higher-order inhibitory factors affecting sexual response. The present study analyzed the item structure and the psychometric properties of the instrument in a population based sample of Finnish male twins (N = 1,289), and, including 37 out of 45 items of the original scales, estimated the heritability of and the environmental influences on the excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms. The twin correlations and the structural equation modeling suggested modest heritability for both inhibitory mechanisms. Sexual excitation, in contrast, was not influenced by genetic effects and similarities between twins for this mechanism seemed to be caused by the common environment of the twins.