Sexual Assertiveness Across Cultures, Genders, and Sexual Orientations: Validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9)

doi:10.1177/10731911241312757

Sexual Assertiveness Across Cultures, Genders, and Sexual Orientations: Validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9)

School of Social Work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Sexual assertiveness (SA) is an important concept in understanding sexual well-being and decision-making. However, psychometric evaluation of existing measures of SA in diverse populations is largely lacking, hindering cross-cultural and comparative studies. This study validated the short version of the Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9) and examined its measurement invariance across several languages, countries, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses among 65,448 sexually-active adults (M_age = 32.98 years, SD = 12.08, 58% women, 2.74% gender-diverse individuals) taking part in the International Sex Survey. The scale demonstrated adequate psychometric properties. Measurement invariance tests indicated that the SAQ-9 is suitable for comparing individuals from different cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses, and significant group differences were also noted (e.g., gender-diverse individuals reported the highest levels of SA). Findings suggest that the SAQ-9 is a reliable and valid measure of SA and appropriate for use in diverse populations, with specific populations exhibiting varying levels of SA.

Original language	American English
Journal	Assessment
Early online date	18 Mar 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911241312757
State	Published Online - 18 Mar 2025

Keywords

International Sex Survey (ISS)
SAQ-9
cross-cultural
gender difference
sexual and gender minorities
sexual assertiveness
validation

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Clinical Psychology
Applied Psychology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1177/10731911241312757

Cite this

@article{c001b6faa8394eab83fdb16bc4634238,

title = "Sexual Assertiveness Across Cultures, Genders, and Sexual Orientations: Validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9)",

abstract = "Sexual assertiveness (SA) is an important concept in understanding sexual well-being and decision-making. However, psychometric evaluation of existing measures of SA in diverse populations is largely lacking, hindering cross-cultural and comparative studies. This study validated the short version of the Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9) and examined its measurement invariance across several languages, countries, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses among 65,448 sexually-active adults (Mage = 32.98 years, SD = 12.08, 58\% women, 2.74\% gender-diverse individuals) taking part in the International Sex Survey. The scale demonstrated adequate psychometric properties. Measurement invariance tests indicated that the SAQ-9 is suitable for comparing individuals from different cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses, and significant group differences were also noted (e.g., gender-diverse individuals reported the highest levels of SA). Findings suggest that the SAQ-9 is a reliable and valid measure of SA and appropriate for use in diverse populations, with specific populations exhibiting varying levels of SA.",

keywords = "International Sex Survey (ISS), SAQ-9, cross-cultural, gender difference, sexual and gender minorities, sexual assertiveness, validation",

author = "L{\'e}na Nagy and M{\'o}nika Ko{\'o}s and Kraus, \{Dr Shane W.\} and Zsolt Demetrovics and Potenza, \{Marc N.\} and Rafael Ballester-Arnal and Dominik Batthy{\'a}ny and Sophie Bergeron and Jo{\"e}l Billieux and Peer Briken and Julius Burkauskas and Georgina C{\'a}rdenas-L{\'o}pez and Joana Carvalho and Jes{\'u}s Castro-Calvo and Lijun Chen and Chen, \{Ji Kang\} and Giacomo Ciocca and Ornella Corazza and Rita Csako and Fernandez, \{David P.\} and Hironobu Fujiwara and Fernandez, \{Elaine F.\} and Johannes Fuss and Roman Gabrhel{\'i}k and Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan and Biljana Gjoneska and Mateusz Gola and Grubbs, \{Joshua B.\} and Hashim, \{Hashim T.\} and Islam, \{Md Saiful\} and Mustafa Ismail and Jim{\'e}nez-Mart{\'i}nez, \{Martha C.\} and Tanja Jurin and Ondrej Kalina and Verena Klein and Andr{\'a}s K{\"o}lt{\H o} and Lee, \{Sang Kyu\} and Karol Lewczuk and Lin, \{Chung Ying\} and Christine Lochner and Silvia L{\'o}pez-Alvarado and Kate{\v r}ina Lukavsk{\'a} and Percy Mayta-Trist{\'a}n and Miller, \{Dan J.\} and O{\v I}ga Orosov{\'a} and G{\'a}bor Orosz and Ponce, \{Fernando P.\} and Quintana, \{Gonzalo R.\} and \{Quintero Garzola\}, \{Gabriel C.\} and Jano Ramos-Diaz and Stein, \{Dan J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

day = "18",

doi = "10.1177/10731911241312757",

language = "American English",

journal = "Assessment",

issn = "1073-1911",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Sexual Assertiveness Across Cultures, Genders, and Sexual Orientations

T2 - Validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9)

AU - Nagy, Léna

AU - Koós, Mónika

AU - Kraus, Dr Shane W.

AU - Demetrovics, Zsolt

AU - Potenza, Marc N.

AU - Ballester-Arnal, Rafael

AU - Batthyány, Dominik

AU - Bergeron, Sophie

AU - Billieux, Joël

AU - Briken, Peer

AU - Burkauskas, Julius

AU - Cárdenas-López, Georgina

AU - Carvalho, Joana

AU - Castro-Calvo, Jesús

AU - Chen, Lijun

AU - Chen, Ji Kang

AU - Ciocca, Giacomo

AU - Corazza, Ornella

AU - Csako, Rita

AU - Fernandez, David P.

AU - Fujiwara, Hironobu

AU - Fernandez, Elaine F.

AU - Fuss, Johannes

AU - Gabrhelík, Roman

AU - Gewirtz-Meydan, Ateret

AU - Gjoneska, Biljana

AU - Gola, Mateusz

AU - Grubbs, Joshua B.

AU - Hashim, Hashim T.

AU - Islam, Md Saiful

AU - Ismail, Mustafa

AU - Jiménez-Martínez, Martha C.

AU - Jurin, Tanja

AU - Kalina, Ondrej

AU - Klein, Verena

AU - Költő, András

AU - Lee, Sang Kyu

AU - Lewczuk, Karol

AU - Lin, Chung Ying

AU - Lochner, Christine

AU - López-Alvarado, Silvia

AU - Lukavská, Kateřina

AU - Mayta-Tristán, Percy

AU - Miller, Dan J.

AU - Orosová, Oľga

AU - Orosz, Gábor

AU - Ponce, Fernando P.

AU - Quintana, Gonzalo R.

AU - Quintero Garzola, Gabriel C.

AU - Ramos-Diaz, Jano

AU - Stein, Dan J.

PY - 2025/3/18

Y1 - 2025/3/18

N2 - Sexual assertiveness (SA) is an important concept in understanding sexual well-being and decision-making. However, psychometric evaluation of existing measures of SA in diverse populations is largely lacking, hindering cross-cultural and comparative studies. This study validated the short version of the Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9) and examined its measurement invariance across several languages, countries, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses among 65,448 sexually-active adults (Mage = 32.98 years, SD = 12.08, 58% women, 2.74% gender-diverse individuals) taking part in the International Sex Survey. The scale demonstrated adequate psychometric properties. Measurement invariance tests indicated that the SAQ-9 is suitable for comparing individuals from different cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses, and significant group differences were also noted (e.g., gender-diverse individuals reported the highest levels of SA). Findings suggest that the SAQ-9 is a reliable and valid measure of SA and appropriate for use in diverse populations, with specific populations exhibiting varying levels of SA.

AB - Sexual assertiveness (SA) is an important concept in understanding sexual well-being and decision-making. However, psychometric evaluation of existing measures of SA in diverse populations is largely lacking, hindering cross-cultural and comparative studies. This study validated the short version of the Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9) and examined its measurement invariance across several languages, countries, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses among 65,448 sexually-active adults (Mage = 32.98 years, SD = 12.08, 58% women, 2.74% gender-diverse individuals) taking part in the International Sex Survey. The scale demonstrated adequate psychometric properties. Measurement invariance tests indicated that the SAQ-9 is suitable for comparing individuals from different cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship statuses, and significant group differences were also noted (e.g., gender-diverse individuals reported the highest levels of SA). Findings suggest that the SAQ-9 is a reliable and valid measure of SA and appropriate for use in diverse populations, with specific populations exhibiting varying levels of SA.

KW - International Sex Survey (ISS)

KW - SAQ-9

KW - cross-cultural

KW - gender difference

KW - sexual and gender minorities

KW - sexual assertiveness

KW - validation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105008200734&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/10731911241312757

DO - 10.1177/10731911241312757

M3 - Article

C2 - 40099831

SN - 1073-1911

JO - Assessment

JF - Assessment

ER -

Sexual Assertiveness Across Cultures, Genders, and Sexual Orientations: Validation of the Short Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire (SAQ-9)

Abstract

Keywords

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

UN SDGs

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