A Psychometric Analysis of the Sexual Arousability Index

The Sexual Arousability Index (SAI) assesses self-reported sexual arousal in women and was administered on four occasions to a group of normal sexually active women ( n = 57) and to another group undergoing surgical gynecologic treatment ( n = 66) that resulted in a predictable and clinical level of sexual dysfunction. These data were used for a psychometric analysis of the SAI. In terms of reliability, internal consistency estimates were in the .92-.96 range, and 4-month test-retest reliabilities ranged from .74 to .90. An evaluation of validity revealed both strengths and limitations of the SAI. The content analysis indicated that at least six domains are sampled, including seduction activities, body caressing, oral-genital and genital stimulation, intercourse, masturbation, and erotic media. To examine construct validity, we conducted a factor analysis that revealed a five-factor solution accounting for 85% of the variance. Furthermore, the factor solution was stable across groups and time, and the factors were sensitive to the occurrence of important behavior changes. The SAI, like other psychological measures, was poor in predicting a criterion (i.e., the occurrence of inhibited sexual excitement) concurrently or at the time of follow-up.