Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men

Abstract

The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men (SESII-W/M) is a psychometric instrument developed by Robin R. Milhausen, Cynthia A. Graham, and Stephanie A. Sanders to operationalize the Dual Control Model of Sexual Response across diverse genders. Rooted in the neurobiological and behavioral framework originally articulated by John Bancroft and Erick Janssen, the Dual Control Model posits that human sexual response depends on the dynamic equilibrium between two neurobiological mechanisms: sexual excitation (SE), which facilitates sexual arousal, and sexual inhibition (SI), which suppresses or down-regulates sexual arousal in response to potential threats, performance demands, or contextual cues. The SESII-W/M was designed to address empirical limitations of earlier sex-specific instruments—specifically the male-oriented Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) and the female-focused Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W)—by providing a psychometrically sound, 30-item self-report questionnaire that evaluates sexual excitation and inhibition using identical items and structural dimensions for both women and men.

The inventory employs a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 4 (Strongly Agree). Psychometric evaluation via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrates that the instrument measures two overarching higher-order factors—Sexual Excitation (SE) and Sexual Inhibition (SI)—subdivided into distinct lower-order contextual and cognitive domains, including Inhibitory Cognitions, Relationship Importance, Arousability, Partner Characteristics and Behaviors, Setting (Unusual or Unconcealed), and Dyadic Elements of the Sexual Interaction. The subscales exhibit internal consistency estimates ranging from Cronbach’s alpha of .66 to .76 (with higher-order scales reaching .80 or above) and test-retest reliability coefficients ranging from .66 to .82 across a 4- to 6-week interval. Demonstrating convergent validity with generalized behavioral approach and inhibition systems (BIS/BAS), sexual sensation seeking, and erotophilia, as well as discriminant validity against social desirability, the SESII-W/M serves as an essential tool in clinical sexology, relationship research, and behavioral epidemiological studies investigating sexual dysfunction and sexual risk-taking.

Keywords

Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men, SESII-W/M, Dual Control Model of Sexual Response, Sexual Excitation, Sexual Inhibition, Sexual Arousability, Inhibitory Cognitions, Psychometrics, Sexual Dysfunction, Behavioral Inhibition, Behavioral Activation, Erotophilia.

Authors

The primary creators and psychometric investigators of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men are:

• Robin R. Milhausen, Ph.D.: Professor in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada; formerly a research fellow at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction and the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention at Indiana University, Bloomington. Her work centers on sexual health, psychometrics, relational dynamics, and gender differences in sexual response.
• Cynthia A. Graham, Ph.D.: Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom, and Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute; formerly associated with the Department of Clinical Psychology at Warneford Hospital, Oxford, England. Dr. Graham has been a central architect in evaluating women’s sexual arousal patterns, endocrine correlates, and female sexual desire disorders.
• Stephanie A. Sanders, Ph.D.: Senior Scientist at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction and Professor of Gender Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. Her extensive empirical inquiries span behavioral endocrinology, sexual behavior measurement, and gender-inclusive models of human sexuality.
• Collaborating Investigators: William L. Yarber, H.S.D. (Indiana University School of Public Health and Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention) and Scott B. Maitland, Ph.D. (University of Guelph), who contributed significantly to structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analyses, and large-scale validation initiatives.

Purpose

The development of the SESII-W/M was motivated by theoretical, psychometric, and clinical imperatives within the field of sexology. Historically, human sexual arousal was conceptualized through predominantly physiological or unidimensional models (e.g., Masters and Johnson; Helen Singer Kaplan). However, clinical observations consistently revealed that individuals with structurally intact physiological capability frequently suffer from profound sexual dysfunctions, such as erectile dysfunction (ED), hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), and female sexual interest/arousal disorder (FSIAD). Conversely, other individuals display disinhibited sexual behaviors, including high-risk sexual practices and compulsive sexual behaviors, despite acute awareness of negative consequences such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or relationship disruption.

To capture these distinct individual differences, the Dual Control Model was introduced. However, early assessment instruments created a gender divide. The Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES; Janssen et al., 2002) were developed and validated exclusively with male populations, relying heavily on genital responses, visual erotica, and concerns regarding performance failure. Recognizing that women’s sexual arousal is profoundly modulated by context, relational emotional intimacy, safety, partner responsiveness, and dyadic communication, Graham, Sanders, and Milhausen (2006) engineered the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) derived from extensive qualitative focus group data (Graham et al., 2004). Yet, qualitative inquiries among men (Janssen, McBride, Yarber, Hill, & Butler, 2008) soon demonstrated that factors traditionally categorized as ‘female-specific’—such as emotional connection, body image concerns, relationship security, and partner dynamics—play an equally substantial role in modulating men’s sexual desire and arousal.

Consequently, the overarching purpose of the SESII-W/M is to provide a single, psychometrically robust instrument that:

• Measures individual propensities for sexual excitation and sexual inhibition using an identical conceptual and lexical framework across men and women, facilitating direct cross-gender comparisons without instrument bias.
• Operates effectively across clinical and non-clinical samples, irrespective of sexual orientation, marital status, or current sexual relationship engagement.
• Identifies specific cognitive and situational triggers that either stimulate arousal (e.g., partner competence, novel or unconcealed environments) or induce acute sexual inhibition (e.g., worries about sexual performance, fear of emotional vulnerability, lack of partner responsiveness).
• Elucidates mechanisms underlying sexual risk behavior (e.g., high excitation combined with low inhibition predicting condomless sex) and sexual dysfunctions (e.g., excessively elevated inhibition or blunted excitation predicting arousal failure and anorgasmia).

Psychological Construct

The SESII-W/M measures two fundamental higher-order psychological constructs—Sexual Excitation (SE) and Sexual Inhibition (SI)—which are posited to be mutually independent rather than bipolar endpoints of a single continuum. An individual may possess high levels of both traits, low levels of both, or any asymmetrical combination thereof. Within the SESII-W/M architecture, these two overarching systems are realized through multidimensional lower-order factors that capture specific psychological, interpersonal, and situational mechanisms.

1. Sexual Excitation (SE)

Sexual Excitation refers to an individual’s generalized baseline tendency to respond to a spectrum of internal and external sexual cues with psychological and physiological arousal. SE reflects the sensitivity of the brain’s appetitive appetitive motivational systems to sexual stimuli. Highly excitable individuals become aroused quickly, frequently, and across a wide variety of contexts. Within the factor structure of the SESII-W/M, excitation is characterized by several key dimensions:

• Arousability: The threshold and ease with which sexual arousal is triggered by spontaneous thoughts, visual stimuli, physical proximity, or general environmental cues (e.g., becoming aroused simply by thinking about someone attractive or feeling physical closeness).
• Partner Characteristics and Behaviors: The propensity for arousal to be amplified by a partner’s interpersonal competence, demonstrated intelligence, talent, emotional warmth, or considerate actions (e.g., observing a partner engaging well with others or performing helpful acts).
• Setting (Unusual or Unconcealed): Arousal facilitation driven by novelty, risk, or unconventional sexual environments, specifically where there is a risk of being seen or heard, which acts as an aphrodisiac rather than a deterrent for high-SE individuals.
• Sensory and Fantasy Responsiveness: Sensitivity to olfactory stimuli (scents, skin smells), visual representations of nakedness, sexual power dynamics (dominance/submission), and active engagement in erotic cognitive fantasies.

2. Sexual Inhibition (SI)

Sexual Inhibition represents the neurobiological and psychological ‘braking system’ that down-regulates or suppresses sexual arousal. From an evolutionary perspective, inhibition serves an adaptive function by preventing sexual engagement in dangerous, socially inappropriate, or threatening contexts. However, chronic or hyperactive inhibition can generate clinically significant distress and sexual dysfunction. Within the SESII-W/M, inhibition encompasses distinct cognitive, evaluative, and relational components:

• Inhibitory Cognitions / Concerns About Sexual Function: The tendency for sexual arousal to be derailed by intrusive performance anxiety, worries about whether one will reach orgasm, taking too long to become aroused, concerns over being a skilled lover, or hyper-focus on bodily appearance.
• Relationship Importance and Emotional Vulnerability: The prerequisite of relational security, emotional attachment, and fidelity before sexual surrender can occur. When high, suspicion of partner infidelity, feeling sexually used, or fear of emotional harm triggers immediate sexual shut-down.
• Dyadic Elements of the Sexual Interaction: The acute sensitivity to partner responsiveness, mutual communication, and balance during the sexual encounter itself. Arousal rapidly extinguishes if the partner is perceived as insensitive to sexual cues or if pleasure is perceived as unilateral.
• Consequences of Sex: Inhibition driven by real-world risk appraisal, such as the acute fear of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancy, or severe reputational damage.

Theoretical Framework

The foundational architecture of the SESII-W/M rests on the Dual Control Model of Sexual Response, formulated by John Bancroft and Erick Janssen at the Kinsey Institute (Bancroft, 1999; Bancroft & Janssen, 2000; Bancroft et al., 2009). The theoretical model draws heavily from general neurobiological theories of motivation, behavioral regulation, and evolutionary biology.

1. Evolutionary and Adaptive Rationale

The Dual Control Model posits that human survival and reproductive fitness require two balancing physiological mechanisms:

1. An activation system that recognizes reproductive opportunities, responds to genetic and physical fitness cues in conspecifics, and mobilizes physiological resources to achieve copulation.
2. An inhibitory system that operates as an adaptive brake. Sex entails severe biological vulnerabilities, including physical exposure to predation, energetic depletion, exposure to pathogens, social conflict, and the expenditure of reproductive investment. Therefore, natural selection favored organisms capable of rapid, centrally mediated suppression of sexual arousal when external or internal threat conditions are detected.

2. Neurobiological Substrates

At the central nervous system level, the balance of excitation and inhibition is governed by complex neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine networks. Sexual excitation is primarily facilitated by dopaminergic pathways operating within the mesolimbic reward system and the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus, supported by melanocortins, oxytocin, and noradrenaline in specific appetitive contexts. In contrast, sexual inhibition is centrally mediated by serotonergic transmission (explaining why selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs] frequently induce sexual dysfunction), endogenous opioids, endocannabinoids, and neuropeptide systems that down-regulate genital autonomic outflow via the sympathetic nervous system and the temporal/prefrontal cortical executive networks that manage threat detection.

3. Integration with Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory

The Dual Control Model mirrors broader personality theories, notably Jeffrey Gray’s Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, which distinguishes the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) from the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS; Carver & White, 1994). While BIS and BAS measure generalized tendencies toward reward approach and punishment avoidance, the Dual Control Model explicitly posits that sexual arousal involves distinct, domain-specific mechanisms. An individual may possess low generalized behavioral inhibition in daily life yet demonstrate severe sexual inhibition due to performance cognitions or relational vulnerability.

Validity

The psychometric validity of the SESII-W/M has been established across diverse empirical studies, demonstrating robust construct, convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity (Milhausen et al., 2010).

1. Construct and Structural Validity

Structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis confirm that the 30 items map coherently onto the dual-process paradigm. The items reliably load onto two overarching second-order latent variables (SE and SI) across both men and women, establishing configural and metric measurement equivalence across sexes. Factor intercorrelations confirm that excitation and inhibition share minimal common variance, verifying that they represent independent psychological dimensions rather than opposite poles of a single factor.

2. Convergent Validity

Convergent validity has been evaluated by correlating SESII-W/M subscale scores with established instruments measuring related psychological and sexual constructs:

• Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation Scales (BIS/BAS; Carver & White, 1994): SESII-W/M Sexual Excitation subscales correlate positively and moderately with BAS Reward Responsiveness, BAS Drive, and BAS Fun Seeking ($r$ values ranging from .25 to .42, $p < .001$). Sexual Inhibition factors correlate significantly with BIS scores ($r = .28$ to $.45, p < .001$), supporting the conceptual link to broader behavioral approach and avoidance systems.
• Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale (SSSS; Kalichman & Rompa, 1995): Sexual Excitation factors, particularly Setting (Unusual or Unconcealed) and Arousability, correlate positively with SSSS ($r = .35$ to $.52, p < .001$), confirming that sexual novelty and sensation seeking align with high sexual excitation proneness.
• Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS; Fisher, 1998): Erotophilia (positive affective and evaluative orientation toward sexuality) correlates positively with SESII-W/M Excitation and negatively with Inhibition, particularly Inhibitory Cognitions ($r = -.38, p < .001$).

3. Discriminant Validity

To verify that responses on the SESII-W/M are free from confounding response biases, scores were correlated with the Social Desirability Scale (SDSR-5; Hays, Hayashi, & Stewart, 1989). Non-significant correlations ($r$ values ranging between -.06 and .08, $p > .05$) were obtained across all subscales, indicating that participants do not systematically distort their self-reported sexual arousal or inhibition patterns to conform to social desirability norms.

4. Criterion and Predictive Validity

The instrument displays pronounced criterion validity in clinical and behavioral investigations:

• Sexual Dysfunction: Clinical samples diagnosed with erectile disorder, female sexual interest/arousal disorder, and orgasmic difficulties consistently exhibit significantly elevated scores on Inhibitory Cognitions and Dyadic Elements of the Sexual Interaction, accompanied by significantly lower Arousability scores compared to non-dysfunctional controls ($p < .001$).
• High-Risk Sexual Behavior: Elevated Sexual Excitation coupled with diminished Sexual Inhibition predicts increased numbers of sexual partners, inconsistent condom use, and higher lifetime incidence of sexually transmitted infections in young adult cohorts.
• Gender Group Differences: In initial validation cohorts (Milhausen et al., 2010), statistically significant gender differences were identified ($p < .001$). Women scored significantly higher on Inhibitory Cognitions, Relationship Importance, Partner Characteristics and Behaviors, and Dyadic Elements, whereas men scored significantly higher on Arousability and Setting (Unusual or Unconcealed). These findings align with evolutionary and social learning models of human sexual strategies.

Reliability

The psychometric evaluation of the SESII-W/M demonstrates acceptable to high levels of internal consistency and temporal stability across community, collegiate, and clinical populations.

1. Internal Consistency

In the primary validation study conducted by Milhausen and colleagues with a sample of 530 men and women randomly recruited from university and distance education cohorts, Cronbach’s alpha ($lpha$) coefficients for the individual subscales ranged from .66 to .76, with an overall subscale mean alpha of .73. The higher-order composite factors exhibited robust internal reliability:

• Higher-Order Sexual Excitation (SE): $lpha = .81$ to $.86$ across male and female sub-samples.
• Higher-Order Sexual Inhibition (SI): $lpha = .79$ to $.84$ across sub-samples.
• Lower-Order Subscales:
  • Inhibitory Cognitions: $lpha = .75$ to $.78$
  • Relationship Importance: $lpha = .70$ to $.74$
  • Arousability: $lpha = .72$ to $.76$
  • Partner Characteristics and Behaviors: $lpha = .68$ to $.72$
  • Setting (Unusual or Unconcealed): $lpha = .66$ to $.71$
  • Dyadic Elements of the Sexual Interaction: $lpha = .67$ to $.73$

2. Test-Retest Reliability

Temporal stability was evaluated over a 4- to 6-week test-retest interval. Intraclass correlation coefficients and Pearson product-moment correlations demonstrated robust stability over time without significant decay:

• Subscale test-retest coefficients ranged from $r = .66$ to $r = .82$ ($p < .001$), with a mean correlation across all subscales of $r = .76$.
• The higher-order factors of Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition displayed temporal stability coefficients exceeding $r = .80$, indicating that the SESII-W/M measures stable trait-like dispositional tendencies rather than fleeting state fluctuations in mood or libido.

Factor Analysis

The factor structure of the SESII-W/M was rigorously delineated using a multi-step analytic strategy involving exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) across diverse male and female cohorts (Milhausen et al., 2010).

1. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)

The item generation process originated from the 36 items of the female-specific SESII-W (Graham et al., 2006). An initial exploratory factor analysis utilizing principal axis factoring with promax (oblique) rotation was conducted on a sample of 530 undergraduate and graduate men and women randomly selected from a registrar list of 4,000 students at a large Midwestern university. Initial extraction identified eight factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0. However, two of these factors contained only two items each, failing to meet the psychometric threshold for factor overdetermination; these items were consequently eliminated.

The resulting 30-item solution accounted for substantial variance and revealed a stable six-factor lower-order structure that was conceptually coherent for both men and women: Inhibitory Cognitions, Relationship Importance, Arousability, Partner Characteristics and Behaviors, Setting (Unusual or Unconcealed), and Dyadic Elements of the Sexual Interaction. Twenty of the 30 items were shared directly with the original female-specific inventory, and five of the factors demonstrated near-complete structural equivalence to the original SESII-W factors.

2. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Model Fit

Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling to test both a correlated lower-order six-factor model and a hierarchical second-order model containing two overarching latent factors: Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition. The fit indices demonstrated strong empirical concordance with the data:

• Chi-Square to Degrees of Freedom Ratio ($\chi^2/df$): Values fell below the conventional cutoff of 2.5 ($p < .001$).
• Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA): Values ranged from .048 to .054 (90% CI [.042, .061]), indicating close approximate fit.
• Comparative Fit Index (CFI): Obtained values ranged between .91 and .94.
• Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI): Obtained values ranged between .90 and .93.
• Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR): Values remained below .06 across models.

Multigroup CFA demonstrated measurement invariance across male and female sub-samples. Metric invariance was confirmed, verifying that the factor loadings of the items onto their respective latent constructs are equal across genders, allowing for unbiased comparative investigations.

Instrument / Measurement Tool

• Test Type: Self-report psychological assessment / trait rating scale.
• Administration Format: Paper-and-pencil or secure computer-based/online survey questionnaire.
• Number of Items: 30 items.
• Completion Time: Approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Target Population: Adult men and women (aged 18 and older) of any sexual orientation, regardless of whether they are currently in an active sexual relationship.
• Response Scale: 4-point Likert-type scale formatted as follows:
  • 1 = Strongly Disagree
  • 2 = Disagree
  • 3 = Agree
  • 4 = Strongly Agree
• Scoring and Factor Structure:
  • Items are organized into two overarching higher-order dimensions: Sexual Excitation (SE) and Sexual Inhibition (SI).
  • Sexual Excitation Items (16 items): 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, and 29.
  • Sexual Inhibition Items (14 items): 3, 5, 7, 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, and 30.
  • Subscale Breakdown: Items assess specific domains including Arousability, Partner Characteristics and Behaviors, Sexual Power Dynamics, Smell/Sensory cues, Concerns About Sexual Function (Inhibitory Cognitions), Consequences of Sex, Relationship Importance, and Setting Dynamics.
  • Reverse Coding: Specific items where endorsement reflects the opposite pole of the underlying factor (such as Item 20, where feeling safe facilitates arousal rather than inhibits it) are reverse scored: 1 becomes 4, 2 becomes 3, 3 becomes 2, and 4 becomes 1.
  • Calculation: After reverse scoring appropriate items, mean composite scores are computed for the higher-order SE and SI factors, as well as for each respective subscale. Mean scores range from 1.0 to 4.0, with higher scores reflecting higher propensity for excitation or inhibition.
• Administration Guidelines: Items should be scrambled in administration forms so that items belonging to the same subscale do not appear in contiguous blocks. Respondents are instructed to provide their immediate, initial reaction without overthinking, focusing on what would be their typical reaction at the present time.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men (SESII-W/M) was developed and validated between 2006 and 2010, with the comprehensive psychometric validation study published in the peer-reviewed journal Archives of Sexual Behavior in 2010 (Milhausen et al., 2010).

Licensing and Academic Access:

• The instrument is non-commercial and placed in the public domain for academic, clinical, and scientific research purposes. Researchers and clinicians may utilize the SESII-W/M without royalty fees.
• Formal permission and notification: While no licensing fee is required, the authors request that researchers intending to administer the SESII-W/M contact the corresponding author, Dr. Robin R. Milhausen (Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada; email: [email protected]), to register study intentions and share psychometric findings.
• Proper citation of the original validation paper (Milhausen et al., 2010) is required in all empirical publications, presentations, and grant applications utilizing the scale.

References

• Bancroft, J. (1999). Central inhibition of sexual response in the male: A theoretical perspective. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 23(6), 763–784. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-7634(99)00019-4
• Bancroft, J., Graham, C. A., Janssen, E., & Sanders, S. A. (2009). The dual control model: Current status and future directions. The Journal of Sex Research, 46(2-3), 121–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490902747222
• Bancroft, J., & Janssen, E. (2000). The dual control model of male sexual response: A theoretical approach to centrally mediated erectile dysfunction. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 24(5), 571–579. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-7634(00)00024-3
• Carver, C. S., & White, T. L. (1994). Behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS Scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(2), 319–333. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.67.2.319
• Fisher, W. A. (1998). The Sexual Opinion Survey. In C. M. Davis, W. L. Yarber, R. Bauserman, G. Schreer, & S. L. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures (pp. 218–223). Sage Publications.
• Graham, C. A., Sanders, S. A., & Milhausen, R. R. (2006). The Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women: Psychometric properties. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35(4), 397–410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-006-9041-7
• Graham, C. A., Sanders, S. A., Milhausen, R. R., & McBride, K. R. (2004). Turning on and turning off: A focus group study of the factors that affect women’s sexual arousal. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 33(6), 527–538. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ASEB.0000044737.60623.56
• Hays, R. D., Hayashi, T., & Stewart, A. L. (1989). A five-item measure of socially desirable response set. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 49(3), 629–636. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316448904900315
• Hyde, J. S. (2005). The gender similarities hypothesis. American Psychologist, 60(6), 581–592. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.6.581
• Janssen, E., McBride, K. R., Yarber, W., Hill, B. J., & Butler, S. M. (2008). Factors that influence sexual arousal in men: A focus group study. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37(2), 252–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9243-0
• Janssen, E., Vorst, H., Finn, P., & Bancroft, J. (2002). The Sexual Inhibition (SIS) and Sexual Excitation (SES) Scales: II. Predicting psychophysiological response patterns. The Journal of Sex Research, 39(2), 127–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490209552130
• Kalichman, S. C., & Rompa, D. (1995). Sexual Sensation Seeking and Sexual Compulsivity Scales: Reliability, validity, and predicting HIV risk behavior. Journal of Personality Assessment, 65(3), 586–601. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa6503_16
• Milhausen, R. R., Graham, C. A., Sanders, S. A., Yarber, W. L., & Maitland, S. B. (2010). Validation of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39(5), 1091–1104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-009-9556-9

Items of the Scale