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

Sungkyunkwan University’s research team

doi:10.1177/10731911241312757

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

Sungkyunkwan University’s research team

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

3 Scopus citations

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	English
Journal	Assessment
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911241312757
State	Accepted/In press - 2025
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

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

Access to Document

10.1177/10731911241312757

Cite this

@article{c2330f062de149e4bf914ad2bc18e654,

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 = "\{Sungkyunkwan University{\textquoteright}s research team\} and 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 Stein, \{Dan J.\}",

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

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1177/10731911241312757",

language = "English",

journal = "Assessment",

issn = "1073-1911",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

}

TY - JOUR

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

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

AU - Sungkyunkwan University’s research team

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 - Stein, Dan J.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

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 - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105008200734

U2 - 10.1177/10731911241312757

DO - 10.1177/10731911241312757

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105008200734

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

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this