Report Viewer

NINDS CDE Notice of Copyright
Sexual Compulsivity Scale (SCS)
Availability
Please visit this website for more information about the instrument: Sexual Compulsivity Scale
Classification
Supplemental: Parkinson's Disease (PD)
Short Description of Instrument
The Sexual Compulsivity Scale (SCS) is a 10-item self-rated questionnaire that assesses tendencies toward sexual preoccupation.
Comments/Special Instructions
This scale was developed to detect sexually risky behavior in an HIV positive population and may not be valid in the older PD population. It focuses on thoughts not behaviors.
 
This scale is recommended as Supplemental since there is not a PD-specific measure for sexual compulsivity. A PD-specific instrument is needed that qualifies the context of age matched comparison groups for normative sexual functioning.
Scoring and Psychometric Properties
Scoring: For the SCS individual items are scored 1-4, and the total score is calculated by dividing the total score by the number of items with a response.
 
Psychometric Properties: Internally consistent, time-stable, demonstrated evidence of convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity.
Rationale/Justification
Strengths: The SCS item content was not specifically tailored to any gender preference groups, and good psychometric properties in sample population.
 
Weaknesses: The scale is not validated in PD or the general elderly population, original validation and psychometric properties were determined in a sample of gay men-therefore sexual orientation and gender differences may be an issue when applied to other populations.
References
Key Reference:
Kalichman SC, Johnson JR, Adair V, Rompa D, Multhauf K, Kelly JA. Sexual sensation seeking: scale development and predicting AIDS-risk behavior among homosexually active men. J Pers Assess. 1994 Jun;62(3):385-97.
 
Additional Reference:
Benotsch EG, Kalichman SC, Pinkerton SD. Sexual Compulsivity in HIV- Positive Men and Women: Prevalence, Predictors, and Consequences of High-Risk Behaviors. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity: Journal of Treatment and Prevention. 2001;8(2):83-99.
 
Document last updated August 2022