Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Conceptualizing Sexual Self-Schemas: a Review of Different Approaches and Their Implications for Understanding Women’s Sexual Function

  • Female Sexual Dysfunction and Disorders (A Stanton, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Sexual Health Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Over the past 30 years, there has been substantial evidence that women’s sexual self-schemas—views of themselves as a sexual person—are associated with their sexual function. The aim of this review was to summarize existing methods of conceptualizing and assessing sexual self-schemas, including their advantages, disadvantages, and implications for understanding women’s sexual function. We provide recommendations for the utility of each measure in research and clinical contexts, with a goal toward improving understanding of women’s sexuality and enhancing research on assessment and treatment of women’s sexual difficulties.

Recent Findings

Most studies assessing sexual self-schemas have used a self-report measure in which participants rated how descriptive various adjectives were of themselves; the adjectives were identified as reflecting attributes of a sexual woman (e.g., passionate, open). Novel measures of women’s sexual self-schemas have been developed more recently, aimed at assessing additional dimensions of sexual self-views such as schema organization or content. Furthermore, some work has conceptualized sexual self-schemas by intentionally activating sexual self-views and assessing associations with sexual responses or function.

Summary

Assessing sexual self-schemas with a one-dimensional scale, used widely in past literature, has many advantages, including demonstrated validity and ease of administration and scoring. A measure of sexual self-schema organization may offer new insights for treatment outcome research, as the interconnectedness of a woman’s sexual self-schema network could be amenable to change through therapy. The Meaning Extraction Method of computerized text analysis may be especially pertinent in assessment contexts and for monitoring treatment progress, enabling a rich individualized assessment of a woman’s sexual self-schema. We recommend continued development and validation of emerging sexual self-schema measures, including increasing their accessibility, so that they may be more broadly applied to research and clinical practice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The SSS was adapted with a prompt for respondents to describe themselves as a sexual person [6]; this modified measure has not been widely adopted over the original SSS, thus we focus on the original measure in this review.

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. Andersen BL, Cyranowski JM. Women’s sexual self-schema. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1994;67:1079–100. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.67.6.1079. This paper applies the concept of self-schemas to women’s sexuality and validates a novel measure of women’s sexual self-schemas across multiple studies. The measure has since been widely used in research on women’s sexuality.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Cyranowski JM, Andersen BL. Schemas, sexuality, and romantic attachment. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1998;74(5):1364–79. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.5.1364.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Katz J, Farrow S. Discrepant self-views and young women’s sexual and emotional adjustment. Sex Roles. 2000;42(509):781–805. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007051131544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Huberman JS, Chivers ML. Development of a novel measure of women’s sexual self-schema organization. Pers. 2020;155(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.109665. This study applies a measure of schema organization to women’s sexuality, providing preliminary validation for a novel measure of women’s sexual self-schema organization.

  5. Stanton AM, Boyd RL, Pulverman CS, Meston CM. Determining women’s sexual self-schemas through advanced computerized text analysis. Child Abuse and Negl. 2015;46(October 2017):78–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.06.003. This study applies a computerized text analysis technique to women’s sexuality, providing a novel tool for extracting themes and meaning from women’s open-ended descriptions of their sexual selves.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hill DB. Differences and similarities in men’s and women’s sexual self-schemas. J Sex Res. 2007;44:135–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490701263611.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Galton F. Measurement of character. Fortnightly Review. 1884;36:179–85.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Clifton J, Seehuus M, Rellini AH. Testing cognitive predictors of individual differences in the sexual psychophysiological responses of sexually functional women. Psychophysiology. 2015;52:957–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12423.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Reissing ED, Binik YM, Khalifé S, Cohen D, Amsel R. Etiological correlates of vaginismus: Sexual and physical abuse, sexual knowledge, sexual self-schema, and relationship adjustment. J Sex Marital Ther. 2003;29:47–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/713847095.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Meston CM, Rellini AH, Heiman JR. Women’s history of sexual abuse, their sexuality, and sexual self-schemas. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2006;74:229–36. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.74.2.229.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Rellini AH, Meston CM. Sexual self-schemas, sexual dysfunction, and the sexual responses of women with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Arch Sex Behav. 2011;40:351–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-010-9694-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Andersen BL, Woods XA, Copeland LJ. Sexual self-schema and sexual morbidity among gynecologic cancer survivors. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1997;65:221–9. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.65.2.221.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Andersen BL, Woods X, Cyranowski J. Sexual self-schema as a possible predictor of sexual problems following cancer treatment. Can J Hum Sex. 1994;3:165–70.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Yurek D, Farrar W, Andersen BL. Breast cancer surgery: Comparing surgical groups and determining individual differences in postoperative sexuality and body change stress. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2000;68:697–709. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.68.4.697.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Carpenter KM, Andersen BL, Fowler JM, Maxwell GL. Sexual self schema as a moderator of sexual and psychological outcomes for gynecologic cancer survivors. Arch Sex Behav. 2009;38:828–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9349-6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Andersen BL. Surviving cancer: The importance of sexual self-concept. Med Pediatr Oncol. 1999;33:1523. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1096911x(199907)33:1<15::aid-mpo4>3.0.co;2-l.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Cyranowski JM, Aarestad SL, Andersen BL. The role of sexual self-schema in a diathesis-stress model of sexual dysfunction. Appl Prev Psychol. 1999;(8):217–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0962-1849(05)80078-2. This study examines sexual self-schemas with a diathesis-stress model of women’s sexual function following gynecologic cancer treatment. The proposed model offers an important framework for considering the role of sexual self-schemas in women’s sexual function.

  18. Twenge JM, Sherman RA, Wells BE. Changes in American adults’ sexual behavior and attitudes, 1972–2012. Arch Sex Behav. 2015;44(8):2273–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0540-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Masley SA, Gillanders DT, Simpson SG, Taylor MA. A systematic review of the evidence base for schema therapy. Cogn Behav Ther. 2012;41(3):185–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2011.614274.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Taylor CDJ, Bee P, Haddock G. Does schema therapy change schemas and symptoms? A systematic review across mental health disorders. Psychol Psychother. 2017;90(3):456–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12112.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Ghosh VE, Gilboa A. What is a memory schema? A historical perspective on current neuroscience literature. Neuropsychologia. 2014;53(1):104–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.11.010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Meston CM, Heiman JR. Sexual abuse and sexual function: An examination of sexually relevant cognitive processes. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2000;68(3):399–406. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.68.3.399.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Nelson DL, Bennett DJ, Gee NR, Schreiber TA, McKinney VM. Implicit memory: Effects of network size and interconnectivity on cued recall. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 1993;19(4):747–64.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Bower GH. Mood and memory. Am Psychol. 1981;36(2):129–48. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.36.2.129.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Dozois DJA, Dobson KS. A longitudinal investigation of information processing and cognitive organization in clinical depression: Stability of schematic interconnectedness. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2001a;69(6):914–25. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.69.6.914.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Dozois DJA, Dobson KS. Information processing and cognitive organization in unipolar depression: Specificity and comorbidity issues. J Abnorm Psychol. 2001b;110(2):236–46. https://doi.org/10.1037//0021-843X.110.2.236.

  27. Dozois DJA, Bieling PJ, Patelis-Siotis I, Hoar L, Chudzik S, McCabe K, et al. Changes in self-schema structure in cognitive therapy for major depressive disorder: A randomized clinical trial. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2009;77(6):1078–88. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016886.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Chung CK, Pennebaker JW. Revealing dimensions of thinking in open-ended self-descriptions: An automated meaning extraction method for natural language. J Res Pers. 2008;42:96–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2007.04.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Boyd RL. MEH: Meaning extraction helper Version (1.2.42) [software]. 2014.

  30. Stanton AM, Meston CM, Boyd RL. Sexual self-schemas in the real world: Investigating the ecological validity of language-based markers of childhood sexual abuse. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2017;20. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0657.

  31. Pulverman CS, Boyd RL, Stanton AM, Meston CM. Changes in the sexual self-schema of women with a history of childhood sexual abuse following expressive writing treatment. Psychol Trauma. 2016;9:181–8. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000163.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Kilimnik CD, Boyd RL, Stanton AM, Meston CM. Identification of nonconsensual sexual experiences and the sexual self-schemas of women: Implications for sexual functioning. Arch Sex Behav. 2018;47:1633–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1229-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Kuffel SW, Heiman JR. Effects of depressive symptoms and experimentally adopted schemas on sexual arousal and affect in sexually healthy women. Arch Sex Behav. 2006;35(2):163–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-005-9015-1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Middleton LS, Kuffel SW, Heiman JR. Effects of experimentally adopted sexual schemas on vaginal response and subjective sexual arousal: A comparison between women with sexual arousal disorder and sexually healthy women. Arch Sex Behav. 2008;37(6):950–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9310-0. This study examines how experimentally adopting sexual self-schemas affects sexual responses, in women with and without sexual difficulties.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Meston CM, Lorenz TA, Stephenson KR. Effects of expressive writing on sexual dysfunction, depression, and PTSD in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse: Results from a randomized clinical trial. J Sex Med. 2013;10(9):2177–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.1224.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Jackie S. Huberman, Katrina N. Bouchard, Grace A. Wang & Natalie O. Rosen

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Natalie O. Rosen

Authors
  1. Jackie S. Huberman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Katrina N. Bouchard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Grace A. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Natalie O. Rosen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Natalie O. Rosen.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Female Sexual Dysfunction and Disorders

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Huberman, J.S., Bouchard, K.N., Wang, G.A. et al. Conceptualizing Sexual Self-Schemas: a Review of Different Approaches and Their Implications for Understanding Women’s Sexual Function. Curr Sex Health Rep 13, 68–75 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-021-00310-x

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-021-00310-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation