Can the Sexual Attitudes of People with Different Sexual Orientations be Compared?

What is it about?

Sexual attitudes are evaluative beliefs that determine favorable or unfavorable responses to sexual stimuli. Depending on the object it refers to, sexual attitudes can be general (erotophilia) or specific (attitude towards sexual fantasies and masturbation). Erotophobia-erotophilia is the disposition to respond to sexual stimuli on a bipolar dimension of affect and evaluation, from a negative pole (erotophobia) to a positive pole (erotophilia). To assess it, the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) is used, which allows people to be classified as erotophilic (they value sex as pleasurable and seek sexual activity) or erotophobic (they value sexual activity negatively and tend to avoid it). To assess the positive attitude towards sexual fantasies, the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF) was developed. Regarding masturbation, the scale that measures negative attitude towards masturbation is the Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Inventory (NATMI). Although there is evidence that sexual attitudes may vary among groups of people defined by sexual orientation, studies on the sexual attitudes of LGB people are still scarce. Most scales measuring sexual attitudes have been validated with heterosexual individuals. Studying the measurement invariance of instruments that assess sexual attitudes is relevant. This type of study makes it possible to describe and explain how the dimensions that make up the scales used to measure sexual attitudes (e.g., erotophilia, attitude toward sexual fantasies, and attitude toward masturbation) function, for example, in groups and collectives that differ in terms of sexual orientation. For this reason, this study used a sample of 2,293 Spanish heterosexual, bisexual and gay individuals to examine the invariance by sexual orientation of the Spanish versions of these three sexual attitude scales: the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS), the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF) and the Negative Attitudes Towards Masturbation Inventory (NATMI). The results confirm that the measure of positive attitude towards sexual fantasies provided by this instrument can be compared across sample groups defined according to their sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual and gay). On the other hand, the results of this study indicate that both the SOS and NATMI scales are not invariant by sexual orientation, indicating that comparisons cannot be made between heterosexual, bisexual and gay individuals with respect to erotophilia and attitude towards masturbation. In the case of the NATMI scale, two of its items ("When I masturbate, I feel guilty" and "When I masturbate I feel disgusted") do not receive the same response pattern about the feeling of guilt associated with solitary masturbation behavior by heterosexual, bisexual and gay people, so these items are not comparable by sexual orientation. In the case of the SOS scale, no items are found that present a response pattern different from the rest that would explain the absence of invariance. However, it could be explained by the extreme response pattern towards erotophilia shared by heterosexual, bisexual and gay people, which interferes with the statistical analyses, since the invariance test needs a more heterogeneous response pattern to classify a scale as invariant. This pattern is found in the NATMI scale as well.

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Photo by Muhammad Uzair on Unsplash

Photo by Muhammad Uzair on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study provides evidence of validity and reliability of the SOS, HISF and NATMI scales, as well as showing that attitudes towards erotophilia, sexual fantasies and masturbation are quite similar in heterosexual, bisexual and gay people. The analysis of these attitudes, closely related to sexual health, provides detailed insight into the possible causes of certain problems related to LGB people's sexuality and serves as a guide to their possible solutions.

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