Abstract
The Affective and Motivational Orientation Related to Erotic Arousal Questionnaire (commonly known by its acronym, AMORE) is an empirically rigorous, theory-driven psychometric instrument designed to capture individual differences in human sexual motivation. Developed by Craig A. Hill and Leslie K. Preston in 1996, the AMORE operationalizes sexual desire not merely as a biological impulse or a physiological release mechanism, but as a multi-determined psychological phenomenon governed by eight distinct dispositional sexual motives. These eight dimensions reflect intrinsic sexual motivations—defined as desires for subjective, psychological, relational, and physiological states that can be realized exclusively or primarily through sexual expression. The scale consists of 62 self-report items evaluated on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from A (Not at all True) to E (Completely True). The eight empirically validated subscales include: (a) Valued by Partner, (b) Value for Partner, (c) Relief from Stress, (d) Nurturance, (e) Expression of Power, (f) Experience Partner’s Power, (g) Pleasure and Sensuality, and (h) Procreation. Across diverse psychometric evaluations, the AMORE has exhibited excellent internal consistency reliability, with subscale Cronbach’s alpha coefficients routinely exceeding .85 (ranging from .76 for Procreation to .94 for Relief from Stress and Experience Partner’s Power). Extensive construct, convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity studies demonstrate that the instrument reliably predicts sexual behavior, contraceptive practices, sexual fantasies, partner attraction criteria, and longitudinal relationship trajectories. This article provides a comprehensive academic review of the AMORE, delineating its theoretical foundation, psychometric properties, scoring protocols, clinical applications, and complete item inventory.
Keywords
AMORE, sexual motivation, dispositional sexual motives, erotic arousal, psychometrics, intrinsic sexual motivation, Craig A. Hill, sexual desire, relational intimacy, sex therapy
Authors
The Affective and Motivational Orientation Related to Erotic Arousal Questionnaire was conceptualized, developed, and validated by:
- Craig A. Hill, Ph.D. — Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW; now Purdue University Fort Wayne), Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Dr. Hill has dedicated decades of scholarship to the social and personality psychology of human sexuality, interpersonal attraction, affiliation motives, and romantic relationship development. Email: [email protected].
- Leslie K. Preston — Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. Co-investigator and co-author of the seminal 1996 scale development study that initially articulated the taxonomy of dispositional sexual motives.
Purpose
Human sexual motivation has historically been viewed through reductionist biological lenses—such as homeostatic drive theories, hormonal surges, or evolutionary imperatives focused solely on reproduction—or through broad behavioral tallies such as coital frequency. The primary purpose of the Affective and Motivational Orientation Related to Erotic Arousal Questionnaire (AMORE) is to offer a sophisticated, differentiated measurement model that answers the critical psychological question: Why do human beings engage in, desire, or seek out sexual encounters? Rather than treating sexual desire as a monolithic drive varying only in intensity, the AMORE conceptualizes sexual orientation toward arousal as a constellation of distinct, enduring psychological needs and affective goals.
From an applied perspective, the AMORE fulfills several essential functions across research and clinical domains:
- Deconstructing Sexual Desire Discrepancies: In clinical sexology and couple therapy, romantic partners frequently present with distressed complaints of mismatched sexual desire. The AMORE allows clinicians to pinpoint that discrepancies often stem not from physiological libido differences, but from divergent motivational orientations. For instance, one partner may seek sex predominantly for Relief from Stress and Pleasure and Sensuality, while the other is motivated almost exclusively by Valued by Partner or Nurturance. Identifying these profiles facilitates targeted cognitive-behavioral and emotionally focused interventions.
- Investigating High-Risk Sexual Behaviors: Epidemiological and behavioral research utilizes the AMORE to explore how specific dispositional motives correlate with unprotected intercourse, inconsistent contraceptive compliance, and multiple concurrent partnerships. For example, individuals high in the Relief from Stress motive may use sexual activity as an acute emotional coping strategy, predisposing them to impulsive sexual decision-making under affective distress.
- Nuancing Romantic Relationship Trajectories: In relational and social psychology, the AMORE serves as a predictive tool for examining relationship stability, commitment, and satisfaction over time. Longitudinal investigations show that mutual alignment in motives that foster intimacy—specifically Valued by Partner and Value for Partner—buffers couples against relational deterioration.
- Elucidating Power Dynamics and Kink: Unlike many conventional psychometric measures that pathologize dominance and submission, the AMORE psychometrically normalizes and validates two distinct interpersonal dimensions: Expression of Power and Experience Partner’s Power. This provides researchers and sex-positive clinicians with an objective, non-stigmatizing framework for exploring consensual power-exchange preferences, erotic dominance, and erotic submission.
Psychological Construct
The central psychological construct operationalized by the AMORE is intrinsic dispositional sexual motivation. Hill and Preston (1996) demarcated a crucial theoretical boundary between extrinsic sexual motives and intrinsic sexual motives. Extrinsic sexual motives involve using sexual behavior as an instrumental vehicle to secure non-sexual outcomes that could conceivably be obtained through alternative, non-erotic means (e.g., having sex to attain financial resources, social prestige, revenge against a rival, or peer conformity). In sharp contrast, intrinsic sexual motives represent stable psychological inclinations to derive gratification from outcomes inherent in the sexual experience itself—states of consciousness, emotional transactions, and bodily feedback that cannot be fully replicated outside an erotic context.
The AMORE conceptualizes these intrinsic sexual orientations across eight distinct dispositional dimensions:
1. Valued by Partner
This subscale captures the desire to feel desired, cherished, validated, and loved by one’s sexual partner through sexual intimacy. Individuals scoring high on this motive view erotic connection as the ultimate validation of their physical and emotional worth. Sexual rejection by a partner is often interpreted by these individuals as an existential invalidation of their lovability. Representative item themes involve feeling warm, cared for, and affirmed when a partner initiates or responds passionately to sexual activity.
2. Value for Partner
In contrast to the desire to receive validation, this motive reflects an altruistic, expressive drive to communicate profound affection, adoration, commitment, and appreciation toward one’s partner through erotic communion. Sex is perceived as a sacred or heightened nonverbal language capable of conveying the depth of one’s relational investment, emotional bonding, and romantic devotion.
3. Relief from Stress
This dimension assesses the use of sexual arousal, fantasy, and orgasmic release as a psychological and physiological coping mechanism against negative affect, tension, anxiety, depression, and life distress. Rooted in tension-reduction models, individuals high on this motive turn to sexual activity or autosexual behaviors (e.g., masturbation) as a reliable method to soothe psychological distress, escape cognitive rumination, and reset emotional equilibrium.
4. Nurturance
The Nurturance subscale measures the motivation to comfort, soothe, and support an emotionally struggling partner through physical intimacy and sexual tenderness. Unlike Value for Partner, which centers on expressive adoration, Nurturance is fundamentally caregiving-oriented. High scorers derive deep emotional satisfaction from knowing that engaging in sex can alleviate their partner’s sadness, lift their partner’s spirits, or help them temporarily set aside their life burdens.
5. Expression of Power
This dimension operationalizes the drive to feel dominant, authoritative, controlling, and personally forceful within a sexual interaction. Erotic arousal for individuals high in this motive is intrinsically amplified by taking charge, directing the partner’s actions, orchestrating the sexual encounter, and exercising tangible interpersonal influence and mastery.
6. Experience Partner’s Power
Complementing the drive to express power, this subscale captures the desire to surrender control, experience a partner’s strength, and be overpowered, possessed, or directed by an assertive, forceful lover. Arousal is heightened through consensual erotic submission, relinquishing autonomy, and feeling that the partner is fully in command of the sexual dynamic.
7. Pleasure and Sensuality
This subscale assesses the hedonic, physical, experiential, and exploratory orientation toward sex. It measures the degree to which an individual values sexual behavior for physical sensation, orgasmic release, tactile adventure, playfulness, and erotic energy. This construct aligns with classic physiological and sensory conceptualizations of libido, emphasizing the pure enjoyment of somatic arousal.
8. Procreation
The Procreation subscale evaluates the degree to which sexual interest, arousal, and frequency are motivated by the desire to conceive children and fulfill reproductive aspirations. While in contemporary societies sexual activity is largely decoupled from reproduction via contraception, this motive remains an active, distinct psychological component, emerging with acute salience during family-planning phases or within pronatalist sociocultural milieus.
Theoretical Framework
The AMORE is grounded in an integration of several prominent psychological paradigms, including dispositional personality theory, Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory, evolutionary psychology, and attachment theory.
From the perspective of dispositional motivation theory, human beings possess relatively stable, cross-situational cognitive-affective structures that guide how they interpret ambiguous interpersonal environments and which behavioral outcomes they prioritize. Hill and Preston (1996) argued that human sexual orientation toward erotic stimuli cannot be reduced to transient states of physiological excitement; rather, individuals exhibit durable personality traits—dispositional motives—that determine what specific elements of an erotic encounter evoke arousal, sustain interest, and produce post-coital satisfaction.
Drawing parallels with Self-Determination Theory, the AMORE emphasizes the psychological distinction between autonomous, intrinsic drives and externally regulated, instrumental drives. The eight dimensions of the AMORE map closely onto fundamental human psychological needs: the need for relatedness is expressed through the Valued by Partner, Value for Partner, and Nurturance subscales; the need for competence and agency is expressed through Expression of Power and hedonic mastery in Pleasure and Sensuality; and coping needs are reflected in Relief from Stress.
The framework also intersects robustly with Attachment Theory (Bowlby, 1982; Hazan & Shaver, 1987). Attachment theorists posit that adult romantic partnerships serve as attachment bonds where sexual interaction becomes an arena for navigating intimacy, proximity, and safety. Research examining the AMORE through an attachment lens (e.g., Davis et al., 2004; Schachner & Shaver, 2004) demonstrates that individuals with an anxious attachment style—who perpetually fear abandonment and hyperactivate their attachment systems—score disproportionately high on the Valued by Partner and Experience Partner’s Power subscales. For anxious individuals, sex is used to elicit affirmation and reassurance of love. Conversely, individuals with an avoidant attachment style—who suppress attachment needs and maintain emotional distance—tend to de-emphasize relational motives (such as Value for Partner and Nurturance) while prioritizing autonomous, physical, or stress-alleviating motives (Pleasure and Sensuality, Relief from Stress).
Finally, evolutionary psychology provides explanatory scaffolding for the differentiation between Procreation and the interpersonal power dimensions. Evolutionary models of parental investment and sexual selection (Buss, 1994) explain the deep-seated survival value of motives aimed at reproductive success, mate retention (communicating value), and social dominance hierarchies within mating contexts.
Validity
The psychometric validity of the AMORE has been corroborated across an extensive program of construct, convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related empirical investigations:
Convergent and Discriminant Validity
In their seminal validation study, Hill and Preston (1996) examined the correlations between the eight AMORE subscales and established personality and psychosocial constructs. The Valued by Partner and Value for Partner subscales correlated moderately to strongly with measures of interpersonal warmth, need for affiliation, and relationship intimacy, while remaining empirically distinct from general social desirability. The Expression of Power subscale correlated significantly with generalized measures of dominance, assertiveness, and psychological agency, but showed negligible correlations with prosocial nurturance. Conversely, the Nurturance subscale correlated positively with dispositional empathy and caregiving orientations. Crucially, the subscales demonstrated divergent validity from general neuroticism and negative affectivity, with only the Relief from Stress subscale demonstrating the expected moderate association with psychological distress coping.
Role-Play and Scenario-Based Criterion Validity
To demonstrate that the AMORE measures functional behavioral inclinations rather than abstract semantic preferences, Hill (1997b, 2002) designed an experimental paradigm exposing participants to eight distinct, standardized sexual role-play scenarios. Each scenario was specifically written to embody the core thematic elements of one of the eight motives (e.g., a scenario wherein a partner needs emotional reassurance, a scenario characterized by erotic dominance and directive control, or a scenario focused purely on physical stimulation). Participants rated their subjective likelihood of engaging in sexual behavior in response to each vignette. Across analyses, self-reported likelihood of sexual behavior within a specific scenario was most strongly and specifically correlated with the corresponding AMORE subscale score. For instance, endorsement of sexual activity in the power-dominant scenario was uniquely predicted by the Expression of Power subscale, confirming robust criterion-related validity.
Predictive Validity for Sexual Fantasies and Dating Preferences
Hill (2007a) demonstrated that individuals’ AMORE profiles systematically predicted the thematic content of their self-generated sexual fantasies. Participants scoring high in Experience Partner’s Power reported recurring, highly arousing fantasies involving submission, surrender, and partner control, whereas high scorers on Pleasure and Sensuality reported fantasies rich in sensory variety and hedonic novelty. Furthermore, in an experimental dating study, Hill (2005) found that AMORE motive profiles predicted how participants evaluated prospective dating candidates; individuals with high relational motives prioritized prospective partners who exhibited emotional availability and commitment, whereas those high in physical or power motives prioritized partner physical attractiveness and sexual assertiveness.
Relational Outcomes and Longitudinal Validity
Investigating the instrument within committed romantic couples, Hill (1997a, 1998) found that high scores on Valued by Partner and Value for Partner were strongly correlated with baseline relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and dyadic commitment. In longitudinal follow-ups spanning multiple months, baseline scores on these interpersonal motives predicted relationship stability and resilience against breakup, demonstrating that the AMORE captures stable motivational factors critical to long-term relational functioning.
Reliability
The AMORE demonstrates consistently high internal reliability and temporal stability across a diverse spectrum of academic investigations and demographic cohorts:
Internal Consistency
Across multiple independent validation samples ranging from undergraduate cohorts to diverse community populations, the AMORE subscales have exhibited remarkable internal consistency:
- Valued by Partner (7 items): Cronbach’s α typically ranges from .86 to .91.
- Value for Partner (8 items): Cronbach’s α ranges from .87 to .92.
- Relief from Stress (10 items): Cronbach’s α is exceptionally high, consistently spanning .91 to .94.
- Nurturance (6 items): Cronbach’s α ranges from .83 to .88.
- Expression of Power (10 items): Cronbach’s α ranges from .88 to .92.
- Experience Partner’s Power (10 items): Cronbach’s α spans .90 to .94.
- Pleasure and Sensuality (5 items): Cronbach’s α ranges from .82 to .87.
- Procreation (6 items): Cronbach’s α ranges from .76 to .84 across non-family planning student samples, rising to > .88 in adult community samples actively contemplating parenthood.
The vast majority of the subscale reliability coefficients routinely exceed the conventional .80 benchmark for psychometric adequacy, with overall instrument average reliability hovering around α = .88.
Temporal Stability
Test-retest reliability analyses conducted across intervals ranging from four to eight weeks demonstrate that the AMORE measures dispositional, enduring orientations rather than transient affective states. Test-retest correlation coefficients (r) for the eight subscales reliably range between .74 and .86, confirming the structural stability of the underlying constructs over time.
Factor Analysis
The structural integrity of the AMORE was established through an extensive, multi-stage exploratory and confirmatory factor-analytic methodology during its initial construction (Hill & Preston, 1996):
Item Pool Generation and Exploratory Reduction
Instrument development originated with a theoretical pool of 101 candidate statements, intentionally authored to embody the conceptual breadth of each proposed intrinsic sexual motive. This pool was administered to an initial development cohort of 612 undergraduate university students. A principal components analysis (PCA) with oblique (Promax) and orthogonal (Varimax) rotations was conducted. Factor extraction was guided by the scree test, eigenvalues greater than 1.0, and conceptual interpretability.
From the initial 101 items, 39 items were systematically eliminated based on rigorous psychometric criteria: items were dropped if they exhibited primary factor loadings below .40, if they displayed substantial cross-loadings (loadings ≥ .30 on two or more factors), or if their removal substantially increased subscale internal consistency. This iterative reduction produced an optimal 62-item solution corresponding cleanly to the eight hypothesized intrinsic motive factors, accounting for over 56% of the total variance.
Cross-Validation Across Independent Samples
To verify that the eight-factor structure was not an artifact of sample-specific error variance, the refined 62-item questionnaire was administered to two completely independent cross-validation samples of university students (Sample 2: N = 586; Sample 3: N = 396). Identical factor-analytic procedures yielded factor solutions virtually identical to the primary sample. Factor congruence coefficients across the samples exceeded .92 for all eight dimensions, demonstrating exceptional structural invariance across diverse participant cohorts.
Confirmatory Factor Structure
Subsequent psychometric examinations utilizing Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) have confirmed that an eight-factor correlated model provides a superior fit to the data compared to competing one-factor (general libido drive), two-factor (interpersonal vs. physical), or hierarchical models. Standard goodness-of-fit indices from structural equation modeling have supported this structure (e.g., Comparative Fit Index [CFI] > .91; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA] ≤ .055), cementing the eight-dimensional model as the psychometric gold standard for measuring intrinsic sexual motivation.
Instrument / Measurement Tool
- Name of Instrument: Affective and Motivational Orientation Related to Erotic Arousal Questionnaire (AMORE)
- Author: Craig A. Hill, Ph.D. (with Leslie K. Preston)
- Construct Measured: Eight dispositional, intrinsic sexual motives (Valued by Partner, Value for Partner, Relief from Stress, Nurturance, Expression of Power, Experience Partner’s Power, Pleasure and Sensuality, Procreation)
- Target Population: Adults and adolescents aged 18 and older, including individuals who are sexually active, currently non-active, single, or in committed partnerships
- Administration Format: Self-report questionnaire; available in paper-and-pencil (Scantron) or computerized formats (e.g., MediaLab, Qualtrics)
- Number of Items: 62 items
- Estimated Completion Time: Approximately 12 to 20 minutes
- Response Scale: 5-point Likert-type scale labeled alphabetically and numerically:
- A = 1 = Not at all True
- B = 2
- C = 3 = Moderately True
- D = 4
- E = 5 = Completely True
- Reverse-Scored Items: Item 21 is reverse-scored (i.e., A = 5, B = 4, C = 3, D = 2, E = 1).
- Subscale Item Allocation:
- Valued by Partner (7 items): 1, 9, 14, 26, 35, 36, 38
- Value for Partner (8 items): 17, 43, 44, 49, 55, 59, 60, 61
- Relief from Stress (10 items): 3, 12, 20, 27, 28, 31, 37, 39, 40, 45
- Nurturance (6 items): 2, 10, 33, 52, 57, 62
- Expression of Power (10 items): 6, 7, 11, 16, 41, 46, 48, 53, 56, 58
- Experience Partner’s Power (10 items): 5, 13, 19, 23, 25, 29, 47, 50, 51, 54
- Pleasure and Sensuality (5 items): 18, 22, 24, 30, 34
- Procreation (6 items): 4, 8, 15, 21 (reversed), 32, 42
- Scoring Interpretation: Items for each subscale are summed to generate a total subscale score. Alternatively, subscale mean scores (total score divided by the number of items in that subscale) can be computed to facilitate cross-scale comparisons on a standardized 1.00 to 5.00 continuum. Higher scores reflect a stronger dispositional tendency to seek sexual arousal and intimacy for that specific motivational outcome.
Permissions & Fee and Test Year
The Affective and Motivational Orientation Related to Erotic Arousal Questionnaire (AMORE) was officially published in 1996 in the peer-reviewed scholarly journal The Journal of Sex Research. The instrument is considered an open-access psychometric instrument for non-commercial academic research, pedagogical purposes, and clinical assessment under the principles of academic Fair Use. No royalties or commercial licensing fees are required for scholarly or clinical deployment.
Researchers intending to administer the AMORE in formal investigations are encouraged to cite the foundational validation publication (Hill & Preston, 1996). For questions regarding electronic adaptations or specialized usage permissions, correspondence may be directed to Dr. Craig A. Hill at the Department of Psychology, Purdue University Fort Wayne (formerly IPFW), Fort Wayne, IN 46805 (e-mail: [email protected]).
References
Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment (2nd ed.). Basic Books.
Buss, D. M. (1994). The evolution of desire: Strategies of human mating. Basic Books.
Davis, D., Shaver, P. R., & Vernon, M. L. (2004). Attachment style and subjective motivations for sex. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(8), 1076–1090. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167204264794
Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511
Hill, C. A. (1997a, August). Dispositional sexual motives and relationship quality. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Hill, C. A. (1997b). The distinctiveness of sexual motives in relation to sexual desire and desirable partner attributes. The Journal of Sex Research, 34(2), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499709551879
Hill, C. A. (1998, May). Sexual motivation, romantic attraction, and intimate relationships. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Hill, C. A. (2002). Gender, relationship stage, and sexual behavior: The importance of partner emotional investment within specific situations. The Journal of Sex Research, 39(3), 228–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490209552144
Hill, C. A. (2005, August). Romantic and sexual interest as a function of dispositional sexual motives. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
Hill, C. A. (2007a, May). Sexual fantasies relate to the theoretically most relevant dispositional sexual motives. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington, DC.
Hill, C. A. (2007b, November). Sexual interest in casual and newly acquainted partners relative to sexual motivation and relationship status. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, Indianapolis, IN.
Hill, C. A., & Preston, L. K. (1996). Individual differences in the experience of sexual motivation: Theory and measurement of dispositional sexual motives. The Journal of Sex Research, 33(1), 27–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499609551813
Schachner, D. A., & Shaver, P. R. (2004). Attachment dimensions and sexual motives. Personal Relationships, 11(2), 179–195. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2004.00077.x
Items of the Scale
Instructions to Participants:
Please be extremely honest and think about yourself very carefully when responding to each statement! There are no right or wrong answers.
This questionnaire asks you about reasons that you typically experience sexual feelings or that you become interested in sexual issues or behaviors. When you experience these feelings or interests, you may or may not always act on those feelings. “Sex,” “having sex,” or “sexual activity” can include sexual behavior with another person (e.g., your spouse or lover), as well as sexual behavior by yourself (e.g., masturbation, viewing or reading erotic materials). “Partner” can refer to either your spouse or regular romantic partner or any individual with whom you have sex. If you have never had sex or are not currently involved sexually with anyone, respond to the statements below like you think you would feel if you were involved in a sexual relationship or were sexually active.
Not all reasons for being interested in sexual issues or sexual behavior may be listed below. Many of the reasons included may not describe you well at all. If this is the case, please indicate that they are not true for you when rating them.
If a particular statement describes your typical reaction or feelings well, indicate that it is “Completely True” by filling in the letter “E” on the computer sheet. If a particular statement does not describe you well or is opposite of the way you feel, indicate that it is “Not at all True” by filling in the letter “A” on the computer sheet. Of course, you may choose any letter in between A and E to indicate the degree to which the statement describes you or not.
Please use the rating scale below to indicate how true or descriptive each of following statements is for you:
- Often when I need to feel loved, I have the desire to relate to my partner sexually because sexual intimacy really makes me feel warm and cared for.
- I enjoy having sex most intensely when I know that it will lift my partner’s spirits and improve his or her outlook on life.
- When bad or frustrating things happen to me, many times I feel like engaging in sexual fantasy or doing something sexual to try to get to feeling better.
- Sex is important to me largely for reproductive reasons.
- Sexual activities and fantasies are most stimulating when my partner seems extremely self-assured and demanding during sex.
- I find that I often feel a sense of superiority and power when I am expressing myself sexually.
- One of the most exciting aspects of sex is the sense of power I feel in controlling the sexual pleasure and stimulation my partner experiences.
- Often while I am engaging in sex or fantasy, the idea that children might result from sexual behavior is extremely arousing.
- Frequently, when I want to feel that I am cared for and that someone is concerned about me, relating to my partner sexually is one of the most satisfying ways to do so.
- Often the most pleasurable sex I have is when it helps my partner forget about his or her problems and enjoy life a little more.
- I find sexual behavior and sexual fantasy most exciting when I can feel forceful and dominant with my partner.
- Thinking about sex or engaging in sex sometimes seems to help me keep on going when things get rough.
- It is frequently very arousing when my partner gets very forceful and aggressive during sex.
- I frequently want to have sex with my partner when I need him or her to notice me and appreciate me.
- I especially enjoy sex when my partner and I are trying to have a baby.
- Often engaging in sex with my partner makes me feel like I have established myself as a force to be reckoned with.
- A major reason I enjoy having sex with my partner is because I can communicate how much I care for and value him or her.
- The sensations of physical pleasure and release are major reasons that sexual activity and fantasy are so important to me.
- Sex and sexual fantasies are most exciting when I feel like my partner has totally overpowered me and has taken complete control.
- When I am going through difficult times, I can start feeling better simply by engaging in some type of sexual fantasy or behavior.
- The idea of having children is not very significant in my feelings about why sexual activity is important to me.
- In many ways, I think engaging in sex and sexual fantasy are some of the most exciting and satisfying activities I can experience.
- Many times it is extremely thrilling when my partner takes complete charge and begins to tell me what to do during sex.
- I really value sexual activity as a way of enjoying myself and adding an element of adventure to my life.
- Often I have a real need to feel dominated and possessed by my partner while we are engaged in sex or sexual fantasy.
- One of the best ways of feeling like an important part of my partner’s life is by relating to him or her sexually.
- I find that thinking about or engaging in sexual activity can frequently help me get through unpleasant times in my life.
- I often feel like fantasizing about sex or expressing myself sexually when life isn’t going very well and I want to feel better about myself.
- Engaging in sexual activity is a very important way for me to experience and appreciate the personal strength and forcefulness that my partner is capable of.
- I find it extremely exciting to be playful and to have fun when I am expressing myself sexually.
- Thinking about sex or engaging in sexual behavior can frequently be a source of relief from stress and pressure for me.
- I would prefer to have sex primarily when I am interested in having a child.
- Often when my partner is feeling down on life or is unhappy about something, I like to try to make him or her feel better by sharing intimacy together sexually.
- The experience of sexual tension and energy are in many ways the most thrilling and important aspects of sexual activity and fantasy.
- I often feel like having sex with my partner when I need to feel understood and when I want to relate to him or her on a one-to-one level.
- When I need to feel a sense of belongingness and connectedness, having sex with my partner is really an important way of relating to him or her.
- Doing something sexual often seems to greatly improve my outlook on life when nothing seems to be going right.
- I frequently feel like expressing my need for emotional closeness and intimacy by engaging in sexual behavior or fantasy with my sexual partner.
- Many times when I am feeling unhappy or depressed, thinking about sex or engaging in sexual activity will make me feel better.
- When things are not going well, thinking about sex or doing something sexual is often very uplifting for me and helps me to forget about my problems for a while.
- Engaging in sexual activity is very important to me as a means of feeling powerful and charismatic.
- One of the main reasons I am interested in sex is for the purpose of having children.
- The sense of emotional bonding with my partner during sexual intercourse is an important way of feeling close to him or her.
- One of the most satisfying aspects of engaging in sex is expressing the intensity of my feelings for my partner while we are having sex.
- I often have a strong need to fantasize about sex or to do something sexual when I feel upset or unhappy.
- I really enjoy having sex as a way of exerting dominance and control over my partner.
- I often find it a real turn-on when my partner takes charge and becomes authoritative during sexual activity or fantasy.
- I am often very excited by the sense of power that I feel I have over my partner when I am sexually attractive to him or her.
- Being able to experience my partner’s physical excitement and sexual release is incredibly thrilling and stimulating for me.
- I find it very exciting when my partner becomes very demanding and urgent during sex and sexual fantasy, as if he or she needs to possess me completely.
- I frequently become very aroused when I sense that my partner is excited by controlling and directing our sexual activity or fantasy.
- I frequently want to have sex with my partner because I know how much he or she enjoys it and how good it makes my partner feel as a person.
- Expressing myself sexually generally makes me feel personally strong and in control of things.
- I am especially excited by the feeling of domination and being controlled by my partner during sex and sexual fantasy.
- One of the most satisfying features of sex is when my partner really seems to need the love and tenderness it conveys.
- Often the sense of power that I have over my sexual partner can be extremely exhilarating.
- I find it very rewarding when I can help my partner get through rough times by showing how much I care and being sexually intimate with him or her.
- I frequently find it quite arousing to be very directive and controlling while having sex with my partner.
- Sexual intercourse is important in creating a great deal of emotional closeness in my relationship with my partner.
- Sharing affection and love during sexual intercourse is one of the most intense and rewarding ways of expressing my concern for my partner.
- The sense of emotional closeness I experience from having sex with my partner is one of the most satisfying ways I know of feeling valued.
- To me, an extremely rewarding aspect of having sex is that it can make my partner feel good about himself or herself.