Measuring sexual function in community surveys: development of a conceptual framework.

Among the many psychometric measures of sexual (dys)function, none is entirely suited to use in community surveys. Faced with the need to include a brief and non-intrusive measure of sexual function in a general population survey, a new measure was developed. Findings from qualitative research with men and women in the community designed to inform the conceptual framework for this measure are presented. Thirty-two semi-structured interviews with individuals recruited from a general practice, an HIV/AIDS charity, and a sexual problems clinic were conducted. From their accounts, 31 potential criteria of a functional sex life were identified. Using evidence from qualitative data and the existing literature, and applying a set of decision rules, the list was reduced to 13 (eight for those not in a relationship), and a further eight criteria were added to enable individuals to self-rate their level of function and indicate the severity of difficulties. These criteria constitute a conceptual framework that is grounded in participant perceptions; is relevant to all, regardless of sexual experience or orientation; provides opportunity to state the degree of associated distress; and incorporates relational, psychological, and physiological aspects. It provides the conceptual basis for a concise and acceptable measure of sexual function

Questionnaire of Cognitive Schema Activation in Sexual Context: A Measure to Assess Cognitive Schemas Activated in Unsuccessful Sexual Situations

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Questionnaire of Cognitive Schema Activation in Sexual Context (QCSASC; Nobre & Pinto-Gouveia, 2000b). A total of 319 individuals (96 with sexual dysfunctions and 223 without sexual dysfunctions) participated in the study. The QCSASC assesses 28 self-schemas proposed by J. S. Beck (1995), usually associated with psychological problems. The measure assesses the activation of these self-schemas following the presentation of 4 negative sexual events associated with the most common sexual dysfunctions in men and women. The QCSASC demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach's agr = .94), test-retest reliability (r[34] = .66), convergent validity (high correlations with other measures of general schemas), and incremental validity. Discriminant analysis differentiated between clinical (sexual dysfunction) and non-clinical groups, giving credit to the hypothesis that the activation of negative schemas may be involved in sexual dysfunctional processes. Findings also suggest the relevance of assessing cognitive schemas in clinical settings