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Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale

What does sex really mean to you? Take this test to find.

Mark Travers, Ph.D.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D.

April 11, 2024

Mark Travers, Ph.D., is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, responsible for new client intake and placement. Mark received his B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder. His academic research has been published in leading psychology journals and has been featured in The New York Times and The New Yorker, among other popular publications. He is a regular contributor for Forbes and Psychology Today, where he writes about psycho-educational topics such as happiness, relationships, personality, and life meaning. Click here to schedule an initial consultation with Mark or another member of the Awake Therapy team. Or, you can drop him a note here.

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Sexual attitudes refer to the beliefs, opinions and feelings individuals hold regarding various aspects of human sexuality. These attitudes encompass a broad spectrum of views on topics such as sexual behaviors, relationships, gender roles and societal norms surrounding sexuality. Influenced by cultural, religious, familial and personal factors, sexual attitudes play a crucial role in shaping individual behaviors, choices, and interactions within their intimate relationships.

Measuring sexual attitudes is essential for gaining insights into how people perceive and navigate their sexual experiences. While societal-level attitudes offer valuable insights into cultural trends and norms, understanding individual attitudes allows for a more specific examination of personal beliefs and values. This granularity is particularly important in areas such as sexual health promotion, relationship counseling, and education, where tailored interventions and support can address individuals' specific needs and concerns.

The Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale is a concise and widely used tool for assessing individual attitudes towards sexuality. Originally developed by Hendrick and Hendrick 1987, and later revised in 2006, this tool evaluates attitudes across key domains such as permissiveness, birth control, communion, and instrumentality.

You can take this test here. Please follow all of the steps to receive your results.

References: Hendrick, C., Hendrick, S., & Reich, D. A. (2006). The Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale. The Journal of Sex Research, 43(1). 76-86.

Step 1: Rate the following statements based on how much you agree with them on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.

1. I do not need to be committed to a person to have sex with them.

2. Casual sex is acceptable.

3. I would like to have sex with many partners.

4. One-night stands are sometimes enjoyable.

5. It is okay to have ongoing sexual relationships with more than one person at a time.

6. Sex as a simple exchange of favors is okay if both people agree to it.

7. The best sex is with no strings attached.

8. Life would have fewer problems if people could have sex more freely.

9. It is possible to enjoy sex with a person and not like that person very much.

10. It is okay for sex to be just good physical release.

11. Birth control is part of responsible sexuality.

12. A woman should share responsibility for birth control.

13. A man should share responsibility for birth control.

14. Sex is the closest form of communication between two people.

15. A sexual encounter between two people deeply in love is the ultimate human interaction.

16. At its best, sex seems to be the merging of two souls.

17. Sex is a very important part of life.

18. Sex is usually an intensive, almost overwhelming experience.

19. Sex is best when you let yourself go and focus on your own pleasure.

20. Sex is primarily the taking of pleasure from another person.

21. The main purpose of sex is to enjoy oneself.

22. Sex is primarily physical.

23. Sex is primarily a bodily function, like eating.

0 of 0 questions answered

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores with people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.