[bitesize]

BRIEF SEXUAL ATTITUDES SCALE

Listed below are several statements that reflect different attitudes about sex. For each statement fill in the response on the answer sheet that indicates how much you agree or disagree with that statement. Some of the items refer to a specific sexual relationship, while others refer to general attitudes and beliefs about sex. Whenever possible, answer the questions with your current partner in mind. If you are not currently dating anyone, answer the questions with your most recent partner in mind. If you have never had a sexual relationship, answer in terms of what you think your responses would most likely be.

For each statement:

A = Strongly agree with statement
B = Moderately agree with the statement
C = Neutral - neither agree nor disagree
D = Moderately disagree with the statement
E = Strongly disagree with the statement

1. I do not need to be committed to a person to have sex with him/her.

2. Casual sex is acceptable.

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

4. One-night stands are sometimes very 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.
__________________________________________________ ______________________

Note. The BSAS includes the instructions shown at the top. The items are given in the
order shown. The BSAS is usually part of a battery with items numbered consecutively. For purposes of analyses, we have A=1 and E=5. (The scoring may be reversed, so that A = strongly disagree, etc.) A participant receives four subscale scores, based on the mean score for a particular subscale (i.e., we add up the 10 items on Permissiveness and divide by 10). An overall scale score is really not useful.


Items Scoring Key

1-10 Permissiveness

11-13 Birth Control

14-18 Communion

19-23 Instrumentality